Panoram Italia Toronto Vol. 1 No. 1

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J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 1 • V O L . 1 • N O . 1

PM40981004

T H E M A G A Z I N E M A I L E D TO I TA L I A N - C A N A D I A N H O M E S I N T H E G R E AT E R TO R O N TO A R E A

B I M O N T H LY • B I M E S T R A L E

CIAO TORONTO!

FIRSTTIMERS’ GUIDE TO

ITALY

A DOCTOR AND LOVING MOTHER ONE OF US • UNA DI NOI •

MARIA MURACA

RISORGIMENTO

Fr

ee

p a su b n o sc ra r i . c mi p t i o m ta o n lia @

1815-1870

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4 5 6 " 3 5 8 & * 5 ; . " /

$ 0 . .

0 / 5 3 ² " - 5 0 3 0 / 5 0 $ " - ( " 3 : 7 " / $ 0 6 7 & 3

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Maria Sharapova and her Formula 1 Steel & Ceramic Chronograph with Diamonds

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VAUGHAN MILLS Rutherford Rd & HWY 400

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See more of Suzy Shier’s collection in the Living Italian Style section.

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PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Tony Zara EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Filippo Salvatore MANAGING EDITOR Viviana Laperchia DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Zara

Montreal Managing editor Gabriel Riel-Salvatore DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING Earl Weiner SALES Dom Fiore

PHOTOGRAPHY Giulio Muratori ART DIRECTION AND GRAPHIC DESIGN David Ferreira PROOFREADING Amanda Fulginiti

CONTRIBUTORS Flavia Genovese Laura Nesci Marisa Daniele Rebecca Borracini Alessandro Bozzelli

Bitchin’ Summer Recipes .................31

Editorial

Dear reader,

Panoram Italia magazine will be mailed to a selected group of Italian-Canadian households and businesses, in the Greater Toronto Area, for an extended promotional period, free of charge. If you wish to modify your subscription or add someone to our mailing list, please either refer to our website www.panoramitalia.com or fill out and mail in the following form to 26 Duncan Street, Toronto, On. M5V 2B9.

A one-time $5 (plus HST) administration fee will be charged.

Panoram Italia Subscription Form

Gaia Massai Bianca Martella Clelia Farrugia Anja Karisik Daniele Bozzelli

From the Publisher’s Desk ......... 11

Pesto .................................................33

Editor-in-Chief ........................... 12

Perdersi a Pesaro ..............................34

Managing Editor ......................... 13

Jewel of Istria ...................................36

Japan Nuclear Energy ..................14

Trip to the Bel Paese ...................38-39 Eating Italian in Hong Kong ............40

Italia 150o Anniversario Buon Compleanno Italia ..............15 Italy 1815-1870 ......................16-17 Battlefields: Viaggio fotografico ....................18-19

Lifestyle Living Italian Style ......................42-43 Fashion: True Grit ........................44-45

Arts and Culture Cover Story Maria Muraca: A Loving Mother First ......................20 Maria Muraca: Una madre prima di tutto ................21

Life and People

Caravaggio Exhibit .................46-47 Canstage: Spotlight.italy .............48 Pippo Delbono .............................49 HotDocs film festival ...................50 Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions ..........52-53

Voices from the Past ...................22-23

Business

Pier 21: Joseph Ranallo Mezzo ............................24-25

Advertorial: Standard Life ............54

L’odissea di Angela ...........................26 Growing up “Italian” .......................27

News and Events ................................................56-58

Sports Food and Travel

Name:

Advertorial: European Flavors .........28

Serie A Season Recap ..................60 Boxer Phil Lo Greco .....................61

Summer Sipping ...............................30

Address: City:

Province:

Postal Code:

We look forward to hearing from you!

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26 Duncan Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2B9 Tel.: 1.800.775.9428 I Fax: 647.449.4707 or by e-mail at : info@panoramitalia.com Legal deposit - National Library of Canada ISSN: 1916-6389

Le opinioni espresse negli articoli firmati non rispecchiano necessariamente le idée della direzione e/o dell’editore che non vanno ritenuti legalmente responsabili del loro contenuto e della loro veridicità.

Les opinions exprimées dans les articles signés ne sont pas nécessairement celles de la direction et/ou de l’éditeur et ils ne peuvent pas être tenus légalement responsables de leur contenu et de leur véridicité.

The opinions expressed in this magazine and/or its signed articles are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of its administration or publisher and cannot be held legally responsible thereof.

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From the Tony Zara

Éd i t o r i a l

Publisher’s Desk

Dear Italian-Canadians and Italophiles of the Greater Toronto Area, it is with great pleasure and anticipation that, as publisher and editor of Panoram Italia magazine, I have the opportunity to announce our arrival in the great city of Toronto. Beginning with our June/July issue, a copy of our magazine will be mailed to your mailbox and hundreds of distribution locations, free of charge, every two months. This bilingual (English and Italian) publication’s lofty ambition is to become a fundamental reference point on the many facets that define us as Italian-Canadians.

anoram Italia was established in 2002 as a yearly deluxe publication. Since the fall of 2006, I and my team decided to switch gears by becoming a trilingual (Italian, English and French) quarterly magazine. I was driven and personally committed to providing the Greater Montreal Area’s residents of Italian origin a different kind of publication. Traditional Italian language dailies/weeklies fulfill a need, that of being a transmission-belt of Italian news, for an Italian speaking audience. It is a legitimate role, but one that is becoming, as the years go by, obsolete. ItalianCanadians have a specific identity and Panoram Italia exists and grows to help foster and express this identity. Panoram Italia magazine’s mission for the last ten years has been to cater to this anthropological specificity: to combine and express a southern, Mediterranean sensibility, often of peasant origin, with a northern climate and highly urbanized environment.

The response in Montreal continues to be tremendous. In the span of ten years, our magazine has become the reference point to what being an Italian-Canadian is all about.

In the past year, the Montreal edition has gone from four to six issues yearly, including a section devoted to the Ottawa region. The next logical step was to expand further. The time felt right to take the next step and bring PanoramItalia magazine to the biggest ItalianCanadian community in the country, that of the Greater Toronto Area. In so doing and with your help, we will be making history. It is the first time, as far as I know, that an Italian Canadian publication will have a national scope. The Toronto-based edition will have its own specificity: a different black and white cover that features an interesting but little known member of the Toronto community. In each bi-monthly edition of Panoram Italia,

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the ‘Living Italian Style’ rubrique will feature four young people from Toronto. The same approach will be used to feature the new born babies from within our community, those recently graduated from colleges and universities, and newly-weds of the year. Our articles are written by a team of qualified and young writers mostly from within the GTA supervised by managing editor Viviana Laperchia, also a Toronto resident and active member of the community.

We will be sending copies of Panoram Italia by mail, for free to households (75,000 to be exact) using a selective and specialized mailing list. If you like our magazine you are invited to ask family and friends to subscribe “for free” by accessing our website (www.panoramitalia.com). A brand-new, easy to use and state-of-the-art site is now available and launched to coincide with Panoram Italia’s first Toronto issue. Have a look and you will discover it to be a true portal for people of Italian origin on a worldwide scale.

Moreover, an invitation is extended to join our already highly successful Facebook page (facebook.com/panoramitalia).

A special plea is directed to business-people who have links in and cater to the Italian community. Please be aware that by supporting our magazine you will be choosing a highly recommended vehicle to promote your products, skills or services. The total circulation of Panoram Italia is an impressive 100,000 copies (now totalling 150,000 nationally). Our magazine lives on advertising dollars alone, so your contribution is crucial to our existence.

We genuinely hope we can count on your advertising and sponsorship support. We are offering and delivering a unique opportunity to reach almost every household of Italian origin based upon verifiable circulation numbers and give you an additional means to reach your customers on the web. This is the logic and power of marketing in this day and age; you can count on our professionalism to deliver on our promise.

I sincerely wish the magazine you are reading becomes a source of pride and inspiration. We highly value your opinion. Please take a moment to let us know what you think and especially send us suggestions for stories to cover in future issues. My hope is that you recognize the importance of having and supporting a publication such as ours. Panoram Italia’s ambition and mission is to inform, form and provide an accurate image of Italian-Canadians from coast to coast. We will fight prejudice, underline the positive and blame, if blame is required. Please do your part in keeping a free voice like ours alive and well. Buona lettura a tutti ! v

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Éd i t o r i a l

Panoram Italia: specchio e voce dei canadesi d’origine italiana Filippo Salvatore

Dal 2006 quasi tutte le famiglie d’origine italiana della zona metropolitana di Montreal ricevono per posta gratis ogni due mesi una copia della rivista trilingue (italiano/inglese/francese) Panoram Italia. Da circa un anno il trimestrale è diventato bimestrale e si è allargato anche alla comunità italiana di Ottawa. In cinque anni la rivista si è imposta, per la sua veste grafica e per la qualità del suo contenuto, come uno dei punti di riferimento essenziali dell’ italianità nella parte francofona del Canada. a questo numero, giugno 2011, Panoram Italia viene pubblicato con una tiratura di 100,000 copie anche nella zona metropolitana di Toronto. A livello nazionale il numero delle copie stampate è di 150,000. Queste cifre sono un indizio del ruolo che questo bimestrale sta svolgendo ed aspira a svolgere ancora di più in avvenire sia a Toronto che a Montreal e, man mano, nel resto del Paese. Panoramitalia ha l’ambizione di essere e di diventare la voce e lo specchio della realtà italiana in tutto il Canada anche grazie al suo recentissimo e facile da usare portale web (panoramitalia.com) ed al suo già seguitissimo sito su facebook (facebook.com/panoramitalia).

La stampa in lingua italiana in Canada esiste da oltre un secolo. Il giornalismo in una lingua non ufficiale come l’italiano ha svolto per decenni un ruolo sociologico utile. Molto spesso però, specialmente durante il periodo fascista, più che un mezzo di informazione e di formazione buona parte delle testate si è trasformata in veicolo di propaganda. Le testate sorte nel secondo dopo-guerra, di solito settimanali, hanno costituito il veicolo per rimanere al corrente degli avvenimenti della madre patria. Spesso, tuttavia, buona parte del contenuto si limita ad essere materiale riclicato e sposa la visione di un determinato indirizzo politico.

Ci sono stati nel recente passato tre tentativi interessanti - le riviste ViceVersa a Montreal e Mosaico e Eyeitalian a Toronto - di fare un tipo di discorso nuovo, ma sono

D

risultati tentativi velleitari e dopo pochi numeri sono scomparsi.

Nel 2011 l’italianità canadese è arrivata ad un bivio e deve mettersi in sincronia con la rivuluzione telematica in corso. Deve scegliere modelli interpretativi adeguati ai bisogni di una comunità di oltre un milione e mezzo di persone che si sono integrate perfettamente. Occorre saper far risaltare la sua specificità ibrida, che non corrisponde né al modello italocentrico né a quello dei due ‘popoli fondatori’.

Esiste un modo specificatamente italiano di essere canadese. É questa identità ancora da definire chiaramente e da coltivare che finora il giornalismo in lingua italiana non ha saputo esprimere in pieno.

Panoram Italia da oltre un quinquennio è riuscito, nel bene e nel male, ad essere l’espressione della specificità italo-canadese ed ha saputo difendere la nostra integrità morale collettiva contro i facili e ripetuti stereotipi criminali che periodicamente riemergono. Ha anche sottolineato il talento che possediamo tracciando numerosi ritratti di tanti giovani di seconda, terza e quarta generazione in diversi campi.

‘Informazione, formazione, difesa della nostra dignità collettiva, sottolineatura della nostra indiscutibile legittimità di appartenenza, rivendicazione di diritti evasi o negati, condanna dell’arrivismo comunitario fasullo e della facile prepotenza, incoraggiamento della gioventù a far fruttare il proprio talento in tutti i campi (economico, culturale, politico, artistico, sportivo): ecco in poche parole i principi ai quali si ispirerà questa rivista’.

Queste parole facevano parte della dichiarazione d’intento che scrivevo nell’autunno del 2006 nel presentare la rivista. Ritengo che siano applicabili alla vocazione che Panoram Italia si dà nel diventare la prima testata italo-canadese a livello nazionale. Nella sua edizione ontariana userà l’inglese e l’italiano come mezzi di espressione.

Sarà mio compito come direttore responsabile coordinare le due squadre di giornalisti e collaboratori e trovare il giusto equilibrio tra l’edizione torontina e quella montrealese che hanno in Viviana Laperchia a Toronto ed in Gabriel Riel-Salvatore ed Adam Zara a Montreal tre validi capo redattori.

D’ora in poi ogni due mesi la maggior parte dei nuclei famigliari nelle zone metropolitane di Toronto, di Montreal e di Ottawa riceveranno gratis a casa tramite posta una copia di Panoram Italia, una rivista graficamente piacevole, contenutisticamente seria e provocante quanto basta. Buona lettura a tutti. Vi invito, cari lettori, a mandarci I vostri commenti e suggerimenti. v

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Éd i t o r i a l

Editoriale

13

Viviana Laperchia

Canadian Pacific Railway, potevano Se la nostra presenza in Canada è il prodotto di finalmente raccontare storie di successo. un viaggio fortuito di Giovanni Caboto, non c’è Oltre cinquant’anni di impegno ragione di essere sorpresi se a volte sognamo mediatico e letterario allo scopo di delidi attraversare l’oceano e ritornare all’origine. neare un’identità comunitaria, hanno creato un posto nella mente dove poterci libn quanto figli erare degli stereotipi e del senso di non di una cultura appartenenza, per abbracciare una cultura passionale, il di mainstream travolgente.

In questo processo di rinascita culturale, bisogno di registrare memorie ed le nuove generazioni sembrano essere emozioni diede rimaste sospese nel limbo tra l’immagine di vita, negli anni una cultura cristallizzata negli anni ’50 e il ’50, a un brillante desiderio impellente di relazionarsi ad essa immaginario letterario che dall’esperienza con un linguaggio contemporaneo.

La rappresentazione mediatica della dell’emigrazione a quella dell’internamento, attraverso storie toccanti di amori e nostra cultura a Toronto non riflette più il famiglie, ha affascinato e sconvolto le gen- presente. Parla di un tempo e di un luogo con i quali troppo spesso le nuove generazioni non erazioni passate.

Una comunità in crescita esponen- riescono ad identificarsi o ai quali non posziale, impegnata nell’esplorazione delle sue sono accedere a causa delle barriere linguiradici e nella formazione di un nuovo senso stiche. In un futuro non troppo remoto, il identitario, non poteva che trovar voce nel vuoto tra ieri e oggi potrebbe non colmarsi, linguaggio emergente di radio, televisione e indebolendo il legame tra il Canada e l’Italia.

L’Italia. Un paese meraviglioso. giornali etnici.

Il cliché di un popolo costantemente Sorprendentemente, uno dei più belli nella nostalgico veniva gradualmente sostituito sua unicità, con il suo Fellini e il suo da una nuova immagine di persone inte- Caravaggio e una politica bizzarra che fa grate, che dall’essere i ‘sandhog’ della città parlare al mondo di noi. Forse, dovremmo sotterranea (slang nordamericano per indi- essere noi stessi a raccontarci. Se ci care gli operai) e gli sfollati impiegati dalla sentiamo italiani o figli di una cultura

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ibrida, se ce l’abbiamo nel sangue o semplicemente l’amiamo al punto da sentire di appartenervi, dovremmo essere noi a dire la nostra.

150 anni fa l’Italia veniva unita sulla carta, ma dovette attendere l’intervento dei media nel processo di unificazione per avere un’identità definita. Allo stesso modo, oggi possiamo ricongiungere i pezzi di una nazione diasporica attraverso il potere delle parole, riportando i nostri nonni a una realtà che vive solo nei loro sogni e rendere le nostre famiglie partecipi di questa rigenerazione.

Panoram Italia è stata la prima a prevedere tutto questo anni fa a Montreal, ma l’urgenza si fa sentire anche dalla vicina Toronto. Gli italiani emergenti in Canada devono avere una voce, le loro parole From one Italian businessman sono qualcosa to another, di prezioso e se il mezzo è I salute Tony Zara and his team at Panoram il messaggio, Italia magazine for its ten years of success in questo è il nosthe Montreal market and offer congratulations and a hearty welcome on the launch of the tro messaggio.

Toronto edition. On behalf of all of us at Suzy Siamo qui per Shier, we wish you every success. loro. Siamo uno di loro. Buona John Ciolfi, President of Suzy Shier Canada lettura! v

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Éd i t o r i a l

The earthquake in Japan that triggered the meltdown of the Fukoshima Nuclear Reactor has fuelled rampant speculation on the immediate and prolonged health effects of the disaster. Reading the news, you get differing opinions. Some sources report that only immediate areas will be impacted and there will be no long-term impact on people while others say that radiation levels up to 50 miles away are very high; enough to impact people’s health. From executives to health officials, government ministers to activists the conclusion is simple: nobody really knows.

T

he common theme is what sparks the fear: human health. We are all worried about what will happen to us if exposed to radiation; partly because we do not understand nuclear power or radiation and partly because trust in governments and corporations to protect public safety has been steadily dwindling.

Perhaps, contrary to commentators’ beliefs at the time that questions were too technical for non-experts, the

on the Future of

Nuclear Energy

By Alessandro Bozzelli

November 1987 referendum in Italy that abolished the statutes allowing Enel to take part in international agreements to build and manage nuclear plants was, in fact, the correct choice.

Despite the shutdown this vote caused in the nuclear power industry in Italy, reports in the last five years have surfaced citing mafia activity surrounding radioactive waste in Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria. A recent report on RAI entitled Pecore e Diossina illustrates lambs giving birth to offspring with genetic defects. In this same report, Antonio, a sheppard, says “Aspetta qui. Aspetta, ti porto un agnellino

nato da poco (wait here, I’ll bring a newborn lamb).”

He disappears and re-emerges with a trembling lamb in his arms. As he puts it on the ground, it stands for a second before flopping over and starts to foam at the mouth. Antonio continues, “Vedi che non dicevo bugie.

Non è per fare pena, ma qui i cristiani muoiono nello stesso modo (See, I was not lying. It’s not for pity, but here people die the same way).” Similar to the Calabrian shipwrecks of the Rosso and Cunski vessels in 1990 and 1992 respectively, carrying radioactive and highly toxic waste to be disposed of by the ’Ndrangheta as reported by the Financial Times, the Camorra is thought to be behind the health issues related to the disposal of toxic compounds in the Campania region, according to Gerardo Marotta, President of the Italian Institute of Philosophical Studies of Naples.

In Canada, and specifically within Ontario, we have several power plants, the most prominent of which is the Pickering Nuclear Power Plant. The issue however is the same: how can we protect ourselves from the radiation, specifically the nuclear waste that these plants produce? The Japan situation shows the issues surrounding catastrophic events destroying power plants, but the Italian situation suggests that there is also danger from the storage and transportation of nuclear fuel. To that end, the Pickering plant appears to sit on what some geologists believe is a fault line (i.e. an area prone or susceptible to earthquakes), compounded by the fact that it sits on Lake Ontario, our largest and arguably only source of freshwater. Further, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (WNMO) of Canada has just been denied access to build a $24 billion dollar nuclear fuel holding facility deep underground in Northern Saskatchewan by Premier Brad Wall.

Nuclear energy has been a controversial topic since its inception. The word ‘nuclear’ has elicited fear from the days of World War II and the atom bomb. The reality of the situation is that nuclear energy provides an alternative means of generating electricity which would normally be created by (at least) equally environmentally destructive means (coal, hydroelectric, geothermal). The simple fact is that given current technological constraints, fulfilling the energy demands for the world is impossible by means of renewable power. So either people have to change their consumption habits, or commercially viable means of creating energy, like nuclear power, will continue to be exploited.v

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o nni versario Italia 150 A

Italia!

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Buon Compleanno

By Daniele Bozzelli

On March 17, 2011, Italy celebrated its 150th birthday. Exactly 150 years ago on that same day in 1861, the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy under King Vittorio Emanuele II took place.

n commemorating this momentous event, Italians living in Italy and abroad have undertaken great strides in ensuring that such festivities incorporate the cultural traditions by which Italy has always been absorbed. Events have been created to magnify all that is Italian both in Italy and abroad.

Ontario, for example, is home to nearly 900,000 Italian Canadians. On October 25, 2010, a legislative bill in the province of Ontario was given Royal Assent, proclaiming the month of June as Italian Heritage Month. This significant achievement in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is in recognition of all of the great contributions Italians have made to their adoptive land.

While it is an achievement to have the opportunity to organize festivities to honour Italy's 150 years here in Ontario, let us not forget grassroots initiatives from Italy. One of them is an artistic expres-

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sion using video called Buon Compleanno Italia, a project developed by the non-profit organization Mondo Nuovo under the direction of Dott.ssa Wilma Peruzzi. It has the objective of involving both Italians living in Italy as well as those living abroad. The concept is simple: to invite people to create a video that represents what it means to be Italian from various regions of Italy using music, lyrics, sights, and sounds representing its beautiful land and people. As Dott.ssa Peruzzi says, "The goal is to transfer to the new generations the cultural patrimony, the values in which we recognize ourselves, by making people aware of the wonderful peculiarities of each region."

Buon Compleanno Italia includes a compilation of videos that together make up a DVD, as well as a written volume. "Both formats present the regions of Italy,“ says Dott.ssa Peruzzi. “The video presents images of little towns and monuments that lie outside

the scope of common tourist attractions. The images are accompanied by traditional musical undertones that are particular to each region. The written volume, on the other hand, presents the customs and traditions, proverbs and sayings, typical foods, and famous personas from each region."

The most fascinating aspect of the Buon Compleanno Italia project is its outreach. As the website states, "The objective is to reach the many countrymen and women, even of second and third generation, who live all over the world, from the USA to South Africa to New Zealand, and let them be part of the celebrations." It is even more gratifying to acknowledge that this project started in Italy and is an outreach to the millions of Italians living abroad. This initiative on behalf of the organizers shows that there is a connection with “oriundi” communities of Italian origin - they too are a part of Italy's rich history.

Indeed, Italians worldwide share a common cultural patrimony, for as Petrarch concludes in his poem Italia Mia : "the ancient valour is not yet dead in Italian hearts." Buon Compleanno Italia!v More info:http://www.italiabuoncompleanno.it

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o nni versario Italia 150 A

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Italy (1815-1870): from a geographical expression to a united country.

THE MAJOR EVENTS Part 1 of 4

OF

RISORGIMENTO

Giuseppe Mazzini Camillo Benso di Cavour

Giuseppe Garibaldi

By Filippo Salvatore

Here is a chronological presentation of some of the salient dates, events and protagonists that enabled the unification of the Italian peninsula. Four possible models were proposed: a confederation of states under the spiritual and temp o r a l g u i d a n c e o f t h e Po p e b y Vi n c e n z o G i o b e r t i ; a f e d e r a t i o n o f s e c u l a r republics by Carlo Cattaneo, (a model being pursued nowadays by Umberto Bossi’s Lega Nord); a united republic by Giuseppe Mazzini, and a united constitutional monarchy by the Piedmontese diplomat Camillo Benso Count of Cavour. The fourth option, a united and centralized constitutional monarchy under the aegis of the Savoy dynasty, was the one that won out and led to the declaration on March 17 th, 1861 of a united Italy. Traditional patriotic hagiography refers to Giuseppe Mazzini as being il cuore (the heart) of Italy’s unification, Camillo Benso di Cavour as il cervello (the brain), and Giuseppe Garibaldi as la spada (the sword). Italy’s unification, notwithstanding its tortuous path and its resulting shortcomings, has to be viewed, in hindsight, as one of the major accomplishments of 19 th century European history. Knowledge of the past enables a better understanding of the present. This is my aim in presenting in a point form the Risorgimento, the process that led to a national identity that anyone, both on Italian soil or abroad, is so proud of.

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte is defeated at Waterloo and exiled to the St.Helen island. At the Congress of Vienna (June 1815) Austria, England, Russia and Prussia institute the Concert of Europe, or Holy Alliance, an instrument of antirevolutionary intervention under Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich’s influence.

The Savoy dynasty is brought back to power and Genoa and Liguria are annexed to Piedmont. Milan and Venice become part of the Austrian empire. Three small Italian states (Parma, Modena and Tuscany) are tied to the Austrian dynasty. The papacy views Austria as its prime protector. The King of Naples Ferdinand I of Bourbon is restored to the throne by Austria and is part of its sphere of influence.

Events in Italy during the Risorgimento IMPERO D’AUSTRIA Savoia Magenta Peschiera

Romagna Nizza

Marche Umbria

Castelfidardo

Talamone Civitavecchia

Gaeta

Teano

Acquisti francesi 1859-60 Reggio

Piemontesi Francesi Spedizione dei Mille Insurrezioni

Marsala

King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy

Vincenzo Gioberti

Carlo Cattaneo

The political Restoration sanctioned in Vienna that did away with the ideals of the French Revolution found its major challenge on the Italian Peninsula. The conflict caused numerous upheavals and revolutions in the course of the 19th century. The process of Italian political and territorial unification is known as Risorgimento.

1820 - Upheavals organized by Carboneria (a secret political organization) take place in Naples and Sicily led by General Gabriele Pepe.

Historian Pietro Colletta gives a detailed account of the events in his Storia del Reame di Napoli. King Ferdinand crushes the revolutions with Austrian help.

1821 - Liberal upheavals take place in Piedmont. Carbonari Piero Maroncelli and Silvio Pellico are arrested and sent to prison.

Pellico tells his sufferings in the Spielberg penitentiary in a famous book L e M i e Pietro Colletta Prigioni.

1831 - Upheavals take place in the Duchies of Parma and Modena.

Duke Francesco IV seems to favour the revolution, but he reneges and has the leaders of the plot arrested. Ciro Menotti is condemned Silvio Pellico to death.

1831 - A former Carbonaro, the Genoese Giuseppe Mazzini, founds La Giovine Italia, a secret society that advocates a united and republican Italy. In 1833 he is condemned to death in absence for a failed conspiracy in Piedmont. In 1834 he founds La Giovine Europa.

In 1837 Mazzini goes in exile to London where he stays till 1848.

1844 - Two Venetian brothers Emilio and Attilio Bandiera, admirCiro Menotti ers of Mazzini, organize an insurrection among the sailors of the Austrian fleet. They land in Calabria and try to begin a revolution. Peasants see them as brigands, not liberators. They are shot to death Emilio and Attilio Bandiera by the Bourbon army.

1846 - Bishop Mastai-Ferretti, who chooses the name of Pius IX, is elected Pope. To begin with, he is viewed as a liberal when he gives freedom to political prisoners. After 1849, he takes a very conservative political stand and defends the Pope’s right to temporal power.

1848 - Insurrections break out throughout Europe (France, Austria, Hungary, Prussia and Italy). King Charles Albert of Savoy concedes the Statuto (constitution). The same happens in the Papal States, in the Pius IX Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and in Tuscany.

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1848 - Le Cinque Giornate di Milano - On March 18th Milanese patriots rise against Austria and during five days freedom reigns in the city. On March 23th Piedmont accepts the patriots’ call and declares war on Austria. The economist Carlo Cattaneo, who favoured a federal republic for a united Italy, is the leader of the Cinque Giornate. On July 25th the Piedmontese army is defeated at Custoza. On August 9th King Charles Albert signs an armistice and the Austrians once more take possession of Milan.

Garibaldi with his Mille embark for Sicily at Quarto in May 1860.

The five days uprising in Milan in 1848.

1849 - Proclamation of a democratic Republic in Rome. Giuseppe Garibaldi assumes command of the republican forces. A young volunteer from Genoa, Goffredo Mameli, composes the poem Fratelli d’Italia which will become the national anthem of Italy. He is wounded and dies in his twenties. A triumvirate (Giuseppe Mazzini, Aurelio Saffi and Carlo Armellini) assumes political power and eliminates the temporal power of the Pope. From his refuge in Gaeta Pope Pius IX calls upon the king of Naples and on France to help him restore his power. On July 1st, the Roman Republic falls.

Garibaldi and his volunteers fight gallantly. They manage to flee from Rome. At San Marino, Garibaldi dissolves his army. His wife Anita dies Goffredo Mameli Anita Garibaldi and he leaves Italy and goes to America.

1849 - Fall of the Venetian Republic. Venice that had voted against the Salasco armistice (August 9th, 1848) between Charles Albert and Austria remains the only democratic republic that challenges Austrian domination. Under the valiant command of Daniele Manin and Niccolò Tommaseo the Republic of Saint Mark faces a long siege that comes to an end in August Daniele Manin Niccolò Tommaseo 1849. Manin goes into exile in France and Tommaseo in the Greek island of Corfù.

Venezia libera. Stampa del tempo 1849.

1849 - King Charles Albert of Piedmont is convinced by the Piedmontese parliament to resume war against Austria. On March 28th he is defeated at Novara. He abdicates and chooses exile in Oporto. His son Victor Emmanuel II replaces him on the throne.

1854-56 - War in Crimea. The Kingdom of Piedmont sends troops to help France and England against Russia. Piedmont’s status as a belligerent increases its international prestige. At the peace conference of Paris in February 1856, Cavour participates as an equal and focuses European attention on the Italian problem. At Plombières, Cavour signs a secret alliance with Napoleon III of France. France will help Piedmont if it is attacked by Austria. He uses his qualities as a brilliant journalist (in 1847 he founds and directs the daily Il Risorgimento) and diplomat to preserve liberalism and integrate the Savoy dynasty into the Italian national fabric. He also convinces Garibaldi, a former Mazzinian republican, to support the Napoleon III ‘monarchist’ solution to achieve national unity.

1859 - Second War of Independence. Austria sends King Victor Emmanuel an ultimatum asking for disarmament and the disbandment of special corps Cacciatori delle Alpi under Giuseppe Garibaldi’s command. On April 25, 1859 the Austrian army crosses the border and hostilities begin. On May 12, Napoleon III joins forces with the Piedmontese. In the bloody battles of Solferino and San Martino near the Garda lake in Lombardy, the Austrians are defeated by both the French and the Piedmontese. On June 9 th, 1859 Napoleon III and Victor Emmanuel enter Milan. Lombardy is annexed to the Kingdom of Piedmont. When the liberation of Venetia seems imminent, Napoleon III signs an armistice at Villafranca with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. During the war petitions had been sent to Cavour by the people of Tuscany, Parma, Modena, Bologna and Romagna asking to be annexed to the constitutional kingdom of Piedmont and they will by plebiscite in March 1860. At the Peace of Zurich, Lombardy becomes part of the Savoy dynasty, Venetia remains Austrian. Nice and Savoy become part of France.

1860 - April 4, a popular insurrection breaks out in Palermo. Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Thousand volunteer Red Shirts, (I Mille) set sail from Quarto, near Genoa towards Sicily.

I Mille land at Marsala (May 13) and fight against the Bourbon army at Calatafimi, Milazzo and Palermo. After an irresistible march, they move up from Southern Italy and reach Naples. After the battles of Volturno and Gaeta, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies is conquered

by Garibaldi on behalf of the Piedmontese. King Victor Emmanuel II and Garibaldi meet at Teano, north of Naples (November 8). The regions of central Italy belonging to the Papal States decide by plebiscite to join the kingdom of the Savoy dynasty.

Garibaldi ‘s encounter with King Victor Emmanuel II at Teano in 1860

1861- Official proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in Torino on March 17th, 1861. Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy becomes king of Italy. Prime Minister Camillo Benso Count of Cavour dies.

1866 - Third War of independence. Italy allies itself with Prussia at war with Austria for the control of Germany. The Italian army is defeated at Custoza on land and at Lissa on the sea.

Prussia, however, defeated Austria in the Seven Weeks’ War, and Venice becomes as a result part of Italy. The cities of Trento and Trieste and their surrounding regions remain part of the Austrian Empire till the end of the First World War in 1918.

1861-1875 - Peasant rebellions, known as brigandaggio, take place in Southern Italy against the Piedmontese ’conquest’. The new state levies heavy taxes and imposes compulsory military conscription.

1870 - War between Napoleon III of France and Prussia. The French troops defending the temporal power of the Pope are recalled to France from Rome. Italy takes advantage of the occasion to occupy the Eternal City. General Lamarmora and his bersaglieri enter the city at Porta Pia and annex the city to the Kingdom of Italy.

1872 - Giuseppe Mazzini, who had returned from exile, dies in Pisa under a false identity.

General Lamarmora’s bersaglieri enter in Rome in 1870.

1878 - King Victor Emmanuel II dies. His son Umberto I inherits his throne.

1882 - Giuseppe Garibaldi, who had retired in the small Sardinian Island of Caprera, dies. v

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1848-1867 (2007)

Viaggio fotogafrico attraverso l'Italia e le lotte del Risorgimento Rebecca Borraccini

SBARCO DEI MILLE A MARSALA 11 maggio 1860 - 2007 E quei frati facevano delle domande strane, da curiosi ma semplici; e udendo da uno dir che era di Venezia, da un altro di Genova, di Milano, di Roma, di Bergamo, inarcavano le ciglia, maravigliati come se l’esser essi potuti giungere nella loro Sicilia da quelle città fosse cosa quasi fuori del naturale. (Giuseppe Cesare Abba - Storia dei Mille, Lo sbarco)

Solferino è un piccolo paese del mantovano, circondato da colline verdi e specchi d'acqua, un posto pacifico, dove la vita scorre tranquilla, ma non è sempre stato così. All'altro capo dell'Italia, in Sicilia, non lontano dal Golfo di Castellamare sorge invece Calatafimi Segesta, cittadina di poco più di settemila anime, dominata da un antico castello e segnata da una storia campale. Dalla Lombardia e dalla provincia di Trapani alla metropoli canadese, dall'Italia risorgimentale ai giorni nostri: è un viaggio della memoria quello che il fotografo Giorgio Barrera propone a Toronto, in collaborazione con l'Istituto Italiano di Cultura e CONTACT Festival, per le celebrazioni dell'anniversario dell'unificazione d'Italia. el 1859, Solferino fu teatro di una delle battaglie più sanguinose del Risorgimento italiano, detta anche La Battaglia dei Tre Sovrani (Vittorio Emanuele II, Napoleone III e Francesco Giuseppe). Il mattino del 24 giugno, 300 mila uomini si scontrarono sul campo e quasi 40 mila vi caddero. Fu così che la Lombardia passò dall'Impero austriaco al Regno di Sardegna e fu proprio da quest'evento tragico che Jean Henry Dunant trasse l’idea della Croce Rossa. Per caso, da una ricognizione fatta in queste zone nel 2004, nasce in Barrera il germe di Battlefields 1848-1867, la mostra che dal 1 maggio al 17 luglio si tiene nei Giardini del Consolato Generale d’Italia a Toronto.

All'artista, acquisito milanese, ma nato a Cagliari nel 1969, interessa la campagna rurale: quello che un secolo e mezzo fa è stato uno scenario di guerra,

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nella sua rappresentazione è un quadro agreste cotemporaneo, con campi coltivati e annaffiati, qualche albero in lontananza e una luce mai accecante, qual'è quella tipica della Pianura Padana. Senza bisogno di ritrarre monumenti commemorativi o iscrizioni lapidarie, Barrera evoca il passato attraverso il paesaggio, modificato nei secoli da tutto quello che vi è accaduto, dal calpestio delle truppe in marcia alla rotazione delle colture, e trasformato dagli occhi stessi di chi lo ha guardato e lo guarda oggi, proiettando su di esso visioni e idee diverse. Per Barrera il paesaggio porta in sè le traccie di ciò che è stato perché viene segnato in maniera indelebile dalla vita e dall'umanità che vi si consumano e in questo modo fa da collante tra passato e presente.

La campale battaglia di Pianto Romano, 15 maggio 1860, avvenne invece nei pressi dell'omonimo colle, accanto alla cittadina di Calatafimi. Garibaldi condusse qui i Mille e sconfisse l'esercito borbonico avversario, imprimendo un forte slancio alla campagna di unificazione. A distanza di 150 anni Barrera è tornato anche qui, dove oggi non troviamo altro che colline e coltivazioni, ma dove sappiamo essersi svolta una delle pagine più importanti della nostra storia. A chi andrà a visitare l'esposizione viene richiesto quindi uno sforzo di immaginazione e la consapevolezza che quello che siamo e abbiamo oggi è frutto di quello che è stato e del sacrificio reale di molti giovani combattenti, alla cui memoria si richiama Adriana Frisenna, direttrice dell'Istituto di Cultura: "Le battaglie sono gli eventi attraverso cui procede la storia, in questo caso le battaglie sono state necessarie per arrivare all'unità. Noi però con questo evento non intendiamo celebrare le battaglie in sè, ma il risultato che si è ottenuto e le persone che per quelle battaglie e per quella causa hanno dato la vita".

"Difficilmente gli italiani esprimono sentimenti patriottici - continua la dottoressa Frisenna - eccetto che, per esempio, durante le partite di calcio della nazionale, ma si tratta di sentimenti che tutti noi abbiamo e che forse sono ancora

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o nni versario Italia 150 A FATTI DEL’ASPROMONTE -2007 29 agosto 1862 Garibaldi era appoggiato ad un pino (ancor oggi esistente) con in bocca un mezzo toscano. Veniva soccorso da tre chirurghi (il Ripari, il Basile e l'Albanese), aggregati ai volontari. Sopraggiunse dalle linee del Regio Esercito il Tenente Rotondo a cavallo: senza salutare intimò a Garibaldi la resa.

BATTAGLIA DELLA SFORZESCA - 2004 20-21 marzo 1849 Alle 10 di sera Re Carlo Alberto volle uscire dal Palazzo del Marchese e pernottare tra i suoi soldati della Brigata «Savoia», dormendo sul nudo terreno, sopra due sacchi di tela, avviluppato in una coperta di lana, colla testa sullo zaino di un soldato. Abdicherà dopo il disastro che subirà a Novara il 23 marzo 1849.

BATTAGLIA DI PALESTRINA - 2007 9 maggio 1849 Ferdinando II decise di tentare

più forti nelle persone che vivono lontane dalla propria terra." Questa ricorrenza rappresenta insomma un'occasione che l'Istituto non si è lasciata sfuggire, organizzando, accanto alla mostra di Barrera, anche altri eventi: una rassegna di film storici dedicati al Risorgimento italiano prevista per l'autunno; un convegno sullalingua e la letteratura dell'Italia Unita (verso la fine di ottobre) e un incontro con il traduttore di La Scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene di Pellegrino Artusi, intellettuale e patriota che ebbe il merito di unire la penisola dal punto di vista gastronomico.

I sedici scatti che Barrera porta a Toronto giungono non solo nell'anno dell'anniversario, ma anche nel contesto di un grande festival internazionale di fotografia: CONTACT 2011. Il festival si ispira al lavoro di Marshall McLuhan, uno dei massimi studiosi di "media" del XX secolo. Da quattordici anni CONTACT promuove l'arte fotografica e i suoi giovani talenti e per questa edizione, che si tiene a maggio, propone al pubblico e ai partecipanti il tema: "L'immagine fotografica come costruzione di figura e sfondo", cioè come risultato dell'intreccio tra strumento e contesto della comunicazione.

Reinterpretando il tema a suo modo, Giorgio Barrera spiega che per lui "la figura è la battaglia, ciò che è stato e che adesso appartiene alla memoria e alla storia è lo strumento per lasciare che lo spettatore si possa immergere in un altro mondo..."v

l'avventura ed inviò ad invadere la Repubblica Romana 8500 uomini, con cinquantadue cannoni e cavalleria. Un notevole corpo di spedizione che venne, tuttavia, sconfitto da Garibaldi.

BATTAGLIA DI PALESTRO - 2005 31 maggio 1859 L’offensiva austriaca fu sbaragliata completamente dagli Zuavi francesi guidati da Vittorio Emanuele in persona. Moltissimi soldati austriaci annegarono nel cavo Sartirana nel corso della ritirata.

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Cover Story

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Mother First

Fulfilling the role of an efficient, caring and passionate family doctor, while simultaneously being a dedicated mother, is a difficult task for female physicians. Many choose to dedicate their entire life to their career, sacrificing their desire to have a family. One exception to the rule is Maria Muraca, a young, beautiful, vibrant woman, full of life. aria was born and raised in Toronto’s Little Italy. “We had so much fun there,” Maria recounts, “it was a great community to live in, where everyone knew each other and felt safe.”

She lived with her parents, younger brother and her now 84-year-old grandmother Ines, who still plays a vital role in Maria’s life and in her children’s. Her father Michele was born in Figline Vegliaturo and her mother Rosaria comes from Rende, two towns in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. Although they immigrated to Canada at a young age, they raised their children in a traditional Italian household.

At the age of 19 she unfortunately lost her mother to cancer. Such experience she says was “a big motivator to pursue medicine and advocate for women’s health, promote healthy lifestyles, disease prevention and screening.”

Maria approached the realm of the health sciences at the University of Toronto, where she graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science and minors in Anthropology and Italian. Soon after, she was admitted into a Master of Science program and consequently pursued Medical School at the University of Toronto.

Ever since she was a child, Maria remembers wanting to be a doctor. Her parents had always been supportive of her. “From a very young age,” Maria explains, “my parents made me feel that I was capable of doing whatever I wanted as long as I worked hard.

This is the message I keep reminding my patients and my friends, that although it is really hard work, with motivation and determination you can achieve your goals.”

Maria is now happily married to Angelo and has two lovely children, Matheos and Andreas. She practices family medicine and works as a surgical assistant at North York General Hospital in orthopedic and general surgery. Furthermore, as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, she runs a small procedure clinic and enjoys teaching medical students and residents.

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Although extremely busy, she finds the time to accompany her children to music, swimming and Italian classes at the Columbus Center every Saturday morning.

She feels these classes “are great to develop cognitive skills; it allows them to develop language skills and to express their creativity and imagination.”

She had her first child, Matheos in 2007 and Andreas in 2009. When speaking about her two boys Maria smiles and says, “I am ecstatic, I feel so blessed every single day. It is so rewarding, and despite the sleepless nights and endless hours of hard work raising them, no matter what’s happening, just to think of them puts a smile on my face.”

Her children’s names highlight the beauty of two cultures coming together. Due to her husband’s Greek origin, they have decided to celebrate both of their heritages by mixing together the Italian and Greek version of their sons’ names.

It was surprising to learn about the different ways they ensure that both cultures are included and respected throughout their daily routines. “For example, at the dinner table I would say ‘Matheos would you like some latte?’ and then my husband would say ‘yes Matteo have your gala - which is milk in Greek - so we always try our best to promote each culture.” They also both read Greek and Italian books to their children and have them listen to music in both languages.

The children’s grandparents play a key role in preserving their cultures. In fact, each grandparent also speaks to the children in their own native language and spends quite a bit of time together throughout the week.

Family, for Maria, is imperative to the well-being of an individual. A devoted household environment is, in fact, one she attempts to replicate in her practice.

Maria appreciates the diversity within the field of

Photographer: Giulio Muratori Hair: Mario Grassa of Hairspray 'n Gloss Salon and Studio Make-up: Cherie Pia Grassa of Hairspray 'n Gloss Salon and Studio

By Flavia Genovese

family medicine and explains that what she enjoys the most is that “you don’t know who your next patient will be. It could be a four-year-old girl or an 80-year-old woman. Such diversity in age means that I will be addressing different health problems each day, and I really enjoy that diversity. I use a broad skill set: I could be measuring a patient’s blood pressure and soon after I will perform a biopsy on a suspicious mole.”

Such unpredictability is what keeps Maria engaged in her work.

“Being a family doctor,” Maria says, “gives me the gift to see the life cycle evolve before my eyes.

I really enjoy continuity of care and being able to support patients for decades.”

“I know I struck a good balance when I am happy.

Being happy makes me a better mother and a better doctor. This is the message I try to pass on to my patients. I remind them that if you take time for yourself, eat healthy and exercise, not only will you feel better, but you will also become a better mother or father because of the stress you have released.”

Maria admits that at the moment she is focused on her children, but she certainly hopes to keep assisting patients, continue her practice and teaching.

Maria would also like to focus on women’s health.

“When the kids are older, I would like to provide medical care to underprivileged populations, which is something I have always wanted to do.”

Maria Muraca is a successful and talented physician, but she is most importantly an approachable, passionate and humble individual. Behind the experienced and professional facade of a doctor, there is a loving mother first - a compassionate side which most patients seek and appreciate.v

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Madre

Una

Cover Story

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Prima di tutto

Essere un dottore di famiglia attento, efficiente ed entusiasta è un arduo compito per chi è anche una madre devota. Molte donne scelgono di dedicare la propria vita interamente alla carriera, sacrificando il desiderio di avere una famiglia. Maria Muraca, una donna giovane, bella e vivace è un’eccezione alla regola. aria è nata e cresciuta a Toronto, nel quartiere multiculturale di Little Italy. “Ci divertivamo tantissimo” racconta Maria “era una bella comunità, dove tutti si conoscevano e si sentivano al sicuro”.

Viveva con i suoi genitori, suo fratello minore e sua nonna Ines, oggi di 84 anni, che ha ancora un ruolo fondamentale nella vita di Maria e in quella dei suoi bambini. Suo padre Michele è nato a Figline Vegliaturo e sua madre Rosaria a Rende, due cittadine in provincia di Cosenza, in Calabria. Sebbene emigrati in Canada ancora giovani, i suoi genitori hanno cresciuto i propri figli in un’ambiente italiano tradizionale.

Purtroppo, sua madre è morta di cancro quando aveva solo 19 anni. Quell’esperienza è diventata “il motore che mi ha spinto a scegliere medicina e a diventare ambasciatrice per la salute delle donne, a promuovere uno stile di vita salutare, controlli regolari e prevenzione dalle malattie”. È all’Università di Toronto che Maria si è avvicinata al mondo delle scienze mediche, laureandosi con lode in Scienze, con Antropologia e Italiano come materie complementari. È stata successivamente ammessa a un programma di Master in Scienze, per poi proseguire con la Scuola di Medicina dell’Università di Toronto.

Maria ricorda di voler diventare medico fin da bambina. I suoi genitori sono sempre stati di grande supporto per lei. “Ricordo che fin da piccola”, spiega Maria “i miei genitori mi facevano sentire capace di poter fare qualsiasi cosa, purché lavorassi sodo. Questo è il messaggio che continuo a ricordare ai miei pazienti ed amici, che nonostante il duro lavoro, con la motivazione e la determinazione si possono raggiungere i propri obiettivi”.

Oggi Maria è felicemente sposata con Angelo e ha due bambini meravigliosi, Matheos e Andreas. È un medico di famiglia e lavora come assistente chirurgico presso il North York General Hospital in ortopedia e chirurgia generale. Inoltre, in qualità di assistente universitario nel Dipartimento di Medicina Famigliare e Comunitaria presso l’Università di Toronto, gestisce un ambulatorio e si dedica all’insegnamento di studenti e residenti.

Sebbene estremamente impegnata, riesce a trovare il tempo di accompagnare i suoi bambini alle lezioni di musica, di nuoto e a quelle di italiano il sabato mattina al Columbus Centre. È del parere che

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tali lezioni siano “di grande supporto per lo sviluppo delle capacitàcognitive; permettonoloro di sviluppare capacità linguistiche e di esprimere la loro creatività e immaginazione”.

Il suo primo bambino, Matheos, è nato nel 2007, mentre Andreas nel 2009.

Parlando dei suoi splendidi maschietti Maria sorride e dice “sono entusiasta, ogni giorno è una benedizione. È una grande soddisfazione e nonstante le notti insonni e le infinite ore di lavoro per crescerli, non importa cosa accada, solo pensando a loro non posso che sorridere”.

I nomi dei suoi bambini sottolineano la bellezza dell’unione di due culture. Date le radici greche di suo marito, hanno deciso di celebrare entrambe le loro origini unendo la versione italiana e quella greca dei nomi dei loro figli.

Conoscere i diversi modi in cui cercano di rispettare e includere entrambe le culture nella loro routine quotidiana è stata un’incredibile scoperta. “Per esempio, a tavola dico ‘Matteo, vuoi il latte’? e allora mio marito interviene ‘sì Matteo, prendi il gala – che significa latte in greco – e quindi cerchiamo sempre di fare del nostro meglio per promuovere entrambe le culture”. Insieme, leggono anche libri in greco e in italiano e ascoltano la musica in entrambe le lingue.

I nonni dei bambini hanno un ruolo chiave nella preservazione delle loro culture. Ciascun nonno, infatti, parla ai propri nipoti nella propria lingua madre, trascorrendo molto tempo insieme durante la settimana.

La famiglia è per Maria un imperativo di benessere per tutti. Un ambiente famigliare affiatato, infatti, è quanto cerca di riprodurre nel suo mestiere.

Maria apprezza profondamente la diversità del campo della medicina di famiglia e rivela che uno degli aspetti più interessanti è che “non sai quale sarà il prossimo paziente. Potrebbe essere una bambina di 4 anni o una signora di 80. Questo significa che dovrò afforntare problemi di salute ogni giorno diversi, ma

apprezzo questa diversità. Sono chiamata ad usare una vasta gamma di competenze, potrei misurare la pressione di un paziente e subito dopo una effettuare una biopsia su un neo sospetto”. È proprio questa imprevedibilità a rendere appassionante il lavoro di Maria.

“Essere un medico di famiglia” dice Maria “mi offre la capacità di vedere il ciclo della vita evolvere sotto i miei occhi. Apprezzo davvero questa continuità e l’opportunità di aiutare i pazienti per anni”.

“So di aver raggiunto un buon equilibrio quando sono felice. Essere felice mi permette di essere una madre migliore e un miglior medico. Questo è anche il messaggio che cerco di trasmettere ai miei pazienti.

Gli ricordo che se trovano il tempo per se stessi, se mangiano correttamente e svolgono attività fisica, non solo si sentiranno meglio, ma anche loro saranno una madre o un padre migliore, per aver allontanato lo stress”.

Maria ammette di essere al momento focalizzata sui suoi figli ma spera senz’altro di continuare ad assistere i suoi pazienti, di continuare la sua pratica e l’insegnamento. Maria vorrebbe concentrarsi anche sul benessere femminile. “Quando i ragazzi saranno più grandi, vorrei fornire assistenza medica alle popolazioni meno privilegiate, qualcosa che ho sempre voluto fare”.

Maria Muraca non è solo un medico di grande talento, ma è soprattutto un individuo umile e profondo.

Dietro il ruolo di medico professionale ed esperto, c’è una madre prima di tutto: un lato umano che molti pazienti cercano ed apprezzano.v

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Li fe &People

Voices

from the

Past

By Bianca Martella

MAPEI restores the past and innovates for the future.

MAPEI installation and restoration systems have been used to renovate architectural and archaeological treasures in all the regions of the world.

Today, the world looks to MAPEI to produce the innovative products of the future that will grow the chemical and building industries.

Victoria Buchy, a young professional living in Toronto, recently digitized audio messages that her greatgrand-parents living in Italy sent her grandparents, Antonio and Adriana Pasquale, when they immigrated to Canada in the 1960s . ictoria was aware the audio recordings existed when she was younger, but it was with a renewed interest in her heritage, after having visited her mother Luciana’s hometown of Valdagno outside of Vicenza, that she asked her grandmother if she could get her hands on those reels.

Victoria’s mother Luciana was a year old when her parents decided to immigrate to Canada, as so many others did in search of a new life for themselves and their future families. When Victoria and her sister were born, for all intents and purposes they were raised Canadian. As Victoria grew and wished tto discover her roots, she decided to travel to Italy to learn Italian. While she expanded her knowledge of her background, so grew her relationship with her grandparents. She is in fact the only grandchild who is able to communicate with her grandparents in their native tongue.

Having successfully converted the audio from the reels to digital, Victoria decided to continue to forge this special relationship with her grandparents and share this exciting part of her family history during Christmas. She shocked her grandparents after dinner surprising them with the recorded voices of

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Celebrating Italy’s

150

years of unification

La Scala Theatre Milan, Italy

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their parents from over 45 years ago. Adriana and Antonio Pasquale’s respective parents, Francesco and Agnese Zanrosso, and Maria Luna and Vittorio Pasquale, would come together, along with other friends, relatives and members of the comune, to have recording parties. Along with messages of love and longing, young relatives can be heard giggling in the background while Adriana’s father-in-law, Vittorio, plays her favourite song off a record she bought before leaving for Canada, and then speaks of looking forward to the whole family

meeting up again to have a big festa. Victoria’s grandparents sat quietly, listening to eighty minutes of recordings, every so often speaking up to explain whose voices were being heard and to translate the Valdagno dialect being spoken.

Though the grand unveiling of the recordings may have not garnered the immediate reaction Victoria had experienced and was hoping from her grandparents, many important family findings were made. Victoria is a singer and had always wondered where her musicality came from.

When listening to the recordings, she heard her great-grandfathers singing together and felt an immediate connection to relatives she had never met. Even more moving was witnessing her grandparents singing along with her great-grandparents’ recorded voices. Not only did Victoria discover that she is part of a family tradition, furthering her sense of belonging to her Italian heritage, but she also began to identify strongly with her bisnonno for more than his beautiful singing. A maestro in more ways than one, it was he who orchestrated the get-togethers to record, and can often be heard dictating to the younger relatives. Victoria identifies with this strong-willed quality and family-oriented nature as much as with his musical talents.

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While love, hope and happiness are a large part of these recordings, there exists also a tone of sadness, more specifically when a young, shy fourteen year old boy named Gianni is heard speaking through the recording to his older brother, who had just left with his wife and young daughter to Canada. Gianni is Antonio Pasquale’s brother, Victoria’s great uncle.

Although Antonio had always wished his brother would join him in Canada, he never did. Gianni’s life took a difficult path as he struggled with illness and passed away. Victoria had only ever known of her great-uncle through pictures and a few stories as a sick man, but over the course of the recordings she learnt much more about him. Though timid in the first set, four years later, when the second set of recordings were made, Gianni is a vibrant eighteen year old young man, full of life and energy. How heartbreaking it must have been to hear that youthful naiveté before the complications of life changed him; but what a beautiful way for his family to remember him and honour his memory.

Victoria admits that she has not yet spoken about the recordings with her grandparents since that fateful evening. One can only imagine how emotionally draining it must have been to sit there and listen. But she is also aware that i nonni Pasquale are the last link to understanding the dialect in the recordings, knowing the names of the relatives who are speaking and, effectively, the last link to Italy. We may not be as lucky to be able to carry the voices of our great-grandparents in our pockets as Victoria is, but as a community we have the privilege of having among us people who can share similar stories of love and family and in the process enrich our collective history. v

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Joseph Ranallo Mezzo Secolo dopo: Viaggio immaginario attraverso

il Pier

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Anna M. Zampieri Pan

Rossland-Vancouver - Non aveva ancora compiuto dodici anni quando, nel 1952, insieme con la mamma rimasta vedova a causa della guerra, Giuseppe Ranallo oggi ben noto come professor Joseph Ranallo, educatore di educatori, poeta, scrittore, esperto in medicina orientale- visse da emigrante la traumatica traversata atlantica, dal porto di Napoli a quello di Halifax in Nova Scotia. L’arrivo al Pier 21, il molo di sbarco canadese (definito anche l’altra porta d’America per similitudine con la Ellis Island di New York), il permesso di immigrazione e il successivo attraversamento in treno del territorio canadese - oltre cinquemila chilometri dall’Atlantico al Pacifico - avrebbero scandito per mamma e figlio le tappe del pellegrinaggio verso il luogo loro destinato, Rossland in British Columbia. Per dare un futuro degno al figlioletto la madre aveva accettato di sposare per procura uno sconosciuto italocanadese che li avrebbe accolti nella sua casa. Rimanere a Vinchiaturo, nel Molise di allora, avrebbe significato povertà, solitudine, marginalizzazione. Le ali di quel preadolescente pensoso e intelligente non avrebbero potuto dispiegarsi per volare nell’immenso cielo.

l 4 giugno scorso, quasi mezzo secolo dopo, JosephRanallo è ritornato al Pier 21. Accompagnato questavolta da moglie e figlia. Nel cuore il ricordo commossodella generosa mamma defunta. Oggi il Pier è statotrasformato in importante museo dedicato alla storiadell’arrivo in Canada, negli anni tra il 1928 il 1971, dioltre un milione e mezzo di persone provenienti da varie nazioni: immigranti, spose di guerra (48 mila con 22 mila figlioletti), esiliati, bambini orfani e militari canadesi reduci dai combattimenti in Europa.

Gli ultimi anni ‘40 e i primi anni ‘50 sono stati i più movimentati nella storia del Pier 21, basti pensare ai centomila Organization) e alle altre migliaia arrivati illegalmente per sfuggire le deportazioni da Latvia, Lituania e Estonia. In quel decennio si colloca anche una consistente immigrazione di italiani, oltre che di olandesi, inglesi e tedeschi. Per non dimenticare i 35.000 ammessi in Canada nel dicembre 1956, in fuga dalla rivoluzione ungherese. Nel decennio successivo (fine anni ‘50 e anni ‘60) molti immigranti scelsero di arrivare in aereo. Il Pier non era più necessario.

L’attuale monumento-museo racchiude la memoria viva di quanti vi sono transitati: rimarrà per sempre nel loro cuore. Figli e nipoti vi potranno attingere per

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conoscere meglio la storia del Canada, fatta del sacrificio e del contributo di tanta gente proveniente da ogni parte del mondo.

Ho chiesto a Joe Ranallo di raccontarmi le sue impressioni. Dentro una cronaca essenziale, egli ha lasciato emergere emozioni e sentimenti capaci di commuovere: valori condivisibili da quanti hanno vissuto la sua stessa esperienza, segnali educativi per chi voglia conoscere e approfondire. È storia personale ma anche storia sociale. Fa parte della storia del Canada in divenire. Acquistati i lasciapassare per il tour guidato alle restaurate attrezzature del Museo, Ranallo ha detto all’impiegata, una nativa messicana, di essere transitato dal Pier nei primi anni Cinquanta.

“Lei mi ha sorriso gentilmente e mi ha gratificato con un adesivo dorato che mi riconosceva come alumnus del Pier 21. La nostra guida poi - un informatissimo volontario in pensione lieto del suo ruolo - mi ha chiesto di esprimere e condividere i sentimenti che stavo sperimentando nel ritornare a questo storico monumento. Mi è stato difficile parlare, talmente intenso era il rigurgito emotivo.” E poi è accaduto qualcosa di magico. È stato quando, dalle enormi vetrate affacciate sulla baia, egli ha creduto di avver-

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tire la brezza dell’Atlantico - proveniente dal porto di Halifax - attraversare i muri, i mattoni, e i vetri.

“Istantaneamente, mi è sembrato cancellasse via segni esteriori e impiallacciature del rinnovato edificio per ritornare quel porto di cinquant’anni fa, la mia prima volta qui. Allora, come una pellicola super8 proiettata alla rovescia, mi sono imbarcato nel mio tour privato contemporaneamente allo svolgimento di quello ufficiale, con le sue varie fermate come Stazioni della Croce”. “ La mia odissea immaginaria - ha raccontato descrivendo il suo viaggio all’incontrario - è cominciata con mia madre e me, un confuso dodicenne dai grandi occhi spalancati, a trascinare i nostri passi lungo i percorsi segnaletici del Pier. Alleviai quindi i due giorni di nausea nel Nord Atlantico, gli altri cinque di ragionevole calma, il passaggio notturno di Gibilterra, le brevi quattro ore di sosta a Barcellona, l’altrettanto breve stop a Genova, e l’imbarco a Napoli, dove dissi il mio addio all’Italia, la mia terra natale che avrei sempre amato come una madre, anche se non aveva più bisogno di me e non mi voleva con sè. Ero parte dell’eccessivo bagaglio che l’Italia doveva scaricare a causa della miserabile situazione postbellica. Tra consigli sbagliati e malaccorto nazionalismo, il governo fascista italiano di fine anni ‘30 e primi ‘40 si era autorizzato ad entrare in una guerra persa in partenza, una guerra non sostenuta e voluta dalla maggioranza del popolo italiano, che si stava ancora riprendendo dalle ferite della prima guerra mondiale. Qualcuno avrebbe dovuto pagare per i colossali e costosi errori di giudizio del governo ufficiale: noi siamo diventati la moneta di scambio”.

A questo punto, nella fantasia del narratore, madre e figlio avevano raggiunto il banco della guardia di frontiera, dove uno stanco e stressato ufficiale in uniforme paramilitare blu-nera, fissandoli con sguardo vuoto, aveva meccanicamente stampato sul loro passaporto l’attesa iscrizione LANDED IMMIGRANT. E rieccoci alpunto di partenza del tour: allo stesso banco che era stato parte del Pier originario, dove ora un giovane ex immigrante egiziano dal cognome greco - in vacanza di studio estiva - stava godendosi il

suo secondogiorno di lavoro travestito da guardia di frontiera. “Troppo in fretta la bobina a rovescio del mio super8 aveva finito di girare, e con mia moglie e mia figlia ero di ritorno al piano in calcestruzzo dove, fino al 1971, innumerevoli immigranti da ogni parte d’Europa avevano raggiunto il Canada per fuggire la devastazione dei loro luoghi natali, la repressione politica operata dai propri paesi, povertà e fame, disastri economici, una struttura di classe socialmente e politicamente stratificata, e una serie di ragioni che impedivano la realizzazione di sogni e aspirazioni”.

“Come lasciammo il Museo a fine giornata - ha confidato ancora Ranallo - mi sentii emozionalmente svuotato, ma sereno. Ero grato al Pier 21 per essere stato gentile con me. Le sue porte d’uscita, che allora mi erano state aperte brevemente per caricarci in fretta sul treno che ci avrebbe portato a destinazione, queste stesse porte mi hanno consentito di godere dei frutti e della liberalità di questo grande giovane paese. Mi hanno permesso di acquisire un’educazione universitaria, cosa che non sarebbe successa se fossi

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rimasto nella mia modesta inconsistente fattoria agricola in Italia centrale, dove i miei animali sarebbero stati la mia facoltà e la dura terra il mio curriculum.

Solo allora ho veramente capito quanto in realtà mi era successo, e ho afferrato il pieno significato di quel modesto adesivo dorato che mi era stato dato all’ acquisto dei biglietti per il tour. Sarò per sempre riconoscente e orgoglioso di essere considerato un alumnus del Pier 21 che, come un libro aperto, offre una porta storicamente visibile su un mondo nuovo.

Quest’istituzione mi ha insegnato una delle più umili e durature lezioni della vita - racchiusa peraltro in un concetto portato genialmente alla luce da Arthur Miller quando ha sfidato l’aristotelica definizione di tragedia: possono esserci dignità e valore personale anche nei più normali individui che popolano il mondo”. v (Articolo pubblicato dal Messaggero di sant’Antonio in Settembre 2010, e qui riprodotto per gentile concessione).

Photo credit: Ken Elliot collection, Canadian Museum of Immigration (virtual exhibit A Day in May: 1963).

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Odissea di Angela

La lunga e coraggiosa Flavia Genovese

“Signore, concedimi la serenità di accettare le cose che non posso cambiare; la forza ed il coraggio di cambiare le cose che posso cambiare; e la saggezza di conoscerne la differenza”.

Questa semplice preghiera del Pastore Friedrich Christoph del 1782, racchiude il segreto della filosofia di vita di Angela Bugin, che il novembre scorso ha compiuto 100 anni. on alle spalle una lunga vita di sacrifici, lavoro e sofferenza, Angela vive a Villa Colombo da 10 anni. Dopo aver vissuto per 17 anni da sola in un appartamento, la perdita quasi completa della sua vista l’ha costretta ad entrare a Villa Colombo, la casa di riposo della comunità italiana di Toronto dal 1976.

Angela incarna e rappresenta la forza ed il coraggio di altre migliaia di donne italiane che, come lei, hanno lasciato l’Italia, la terra natia, alla ricerca di una vita migliore, in un paese straniero. La sua ‘odissea’ è iniziata nel 1968 quando con suo marito e sua madre ha lasciato Treviso nel Veneto per raggiungere Emanuela, la sua unica figlia, partita per il Canada per il matrimonio di un suo zio. Quattro anni dopo il suo arrivo, Angela ha perso sua figlia, malata di cancro, sua

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madre dopo breve tempo e nove anni dopo anche suo marito. Ad Angela non restano che due nipoti, figlie di sua sorella.

Angela, la centenaria, nel ripercorrere le fasi della sua esistenza, ci ricorda loro che esiste un’epoca sconosciuta e valori di vita forse ormai perduti. È con viva emozione che Angela mi parla di un’Italia del dopoguerra. La vita era dura e ci si accontetava di piaceri semplici. Primo tra essi era la famiglia. Da allora le cose sono tanto cambiate.

Un consiglio ai giovani. Se avete la fortuna di avere ancora i nonni, fatevi raccontare la loro vita e capirete che venire in Canada è stata per loro una vera odissea.

Come me, anche voi vi chiederete cosa ha aiutato Angela a superare la perdita dei suoi cari e trovare la forza di andare avanti. Nel rispondere alla mia domanda, sorridendo mi dice: “Occorre accettere la vita come il Signore ce la manda ed andare avanti il meglio che si può”.

La sua grande fede in Dio ha dato ad Angela forza e le ha permesso di arrivare alla invidiabile età di 100 anni. Le tante avversità incontrate lungo il cammino, tra le quali la perdita della vista, non sono riuscite a

sconfiggerla. Hanno rafforzato, al contrario, la sua saggezza e le hanno concesso il dono di ‘vedere’ quello che oggi noi non vediamo: la semplicità.

Nel fare un paragone tra la anziana che mi sta davanti e la giovane ritratta nella foto del lontano 1940,la differenza fisica è notevole. Ma lo spirito che anima Angela anche oggi non ha età. Con la promessa di tornare a trovarla, l’abbraccio e la saluto. Angela mi lascia dicendo, “cento anni sono passati, ora non mi resta che aspettare gli altri”. v

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Are we giving our children roots and wings?

By Sabrina Marandola

If you were raised by Italian parents, chances are you’ve never been put in a time-out when you were a kid. A “timeout” to you is a sports terminology not a form of punishment for a misbehaving toddler. The children of Italian parents also know a wooden spoon can do a lot more than just stir a boiling pot of tomato sauce.

Think back to when you were a child. How were you scolded or punished? How were you praised and rewarded? Were your parents’ parenting techniques effective? How do yours fare? he debate of immigrant parenting is all the buzz right now, thanks to a new book by Amy Chua called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. She argues that “Chinese mothers are superior”, and explores how not only Chinese parents, but immigrant parents are stricter, more demanding of their children and more effective parents than North American moms and dads. Do you agree? To delve into this debate, Panoram Italia sat down with two Italian-Canadians who were raised “Italian” to become hugely successful in their respective careers and who have the same hopes for their own teenagers as they guide them into adulthood in this modern Canada.

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Here’s who shared their take • Marianna Simeone: is a perfectly trilingual journalist, broadcaster, businesswoman, and community activist. She was the first woman to be the executive director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, before delving into the world of television and radio. Her work has earned her the prestigious knighthood status; she was inducted as a Knight in the Order to the Merit of the Republic of Italy.

Simeone was born in Montreal, and grew up in St. Michel. Her parents were born in Benevento, in the region of Campania. At 50, Simeone is the mother of two teenage boys, Alessandro, 18, and Massimiliano, 16.

• Franco Taddeo: went from working as a library assistant at McGill University to becoming a stand-up comedian. Taddeo is now one of the most popular comics in the country, performing his routines that focus on what it’s like to grow up ethnic. Born in Montreal, his father was from Avellino and his mother from Caserta - both in the Campania region. At the age of 45, Taddeo is the “uncool” dad of 18-year-old Justice and 17-year-old Luca.

PI: What did it mean for you to be raised “the Italian way”?

MS: We lived like we were in small-town, rural southern Italy. It was the 1960s in Montreal, but behind my doors, it may as well have been a small town in Italy. We only spoke Italian, only ate Italian, only read Italian newspapers and literature, only watched Italian movies, and listened to Italian music. And we never saw it as a problem because in St. Michel, that’s how everyone else lived too. On my first day of school, I didn’t speak a word of English or French - only Italian. And it was the same for the other 32 kids in the class.

PI: What traditions came along with that?

MS: Sunday was a must: my dad was gung-ho on going to mass. It didn’t matter how tired you were, or if you wanted to sleep in. You were getting up and going to mass, and then we had lunch. And every Saturday, at 9 a.m., I had to clean the house - come hell or high water. Our time was spent going from one Italian kitchen to another. We made sausage together, prosciutto together, wine together. That was our calendar. I never went to clubs. For Halloween, I wasn’t allowed to go trick-or-treating. And I still think about that to this day. For my father, he thought of it as, “My daughter doesn’t need other people to give her things. I can give her everything she needs.”

FT: I had a curfew. I had to call home! And, I always had to be respectful. Answering back to your parents was not even something that you fathomed. We also grew up with the rituals of food. It was important to be home for dinner, and there was the whole concept of the frivolity of eating out. “Why would you want to eat out when you can eat at home? It’s cheaper, and the food is better!” They didn’t understand the social aspect to it.

PI: What were the core values growing up in your home?

MS: The values they instilled in me were outrageously good. The work ethic they taught me, and discipline, I would never change for anything in the world. It was all about

l’educazione - come bisogna vivere, comportarsi. Our Italian parents taught us respect for our elders, and also respect for authority. I have a problem with this one, because they taught us blind respect for authority. Do what others tell you, and don’t question it. They never taught us to stand up for ourselves - always to bow.

In reality, it’s okay to dissent. They just never taught us how. That sense of civismo... we don’t have that.

Family was an important value, doing well in school, loyalty, and ‘La Figura’ (saving face).

‘La Bella Figura’ was so important. This is how we were raised.

FT: Faith was instilled in us, and the respect for authority. We were fearful of the wrath of our parents. And it’s not because it would elicit physical violence. It was that we were afraid to disappoint our parents. I am part of the first generation where my first language is not my parents’ first language.

The trade-off of our parents coming to a new country was for us to succeed.

The justification for all the sacrifices they made, and the loss of their heritage and history is our success. So, it is instilled in us, not disciplined in us.

MS: One thing our parents never gave us - and it’s through no fault of their own because they were in survival mode - they just did not counsel us on what to do in school… which studies to pursue. And we didn’t have the models. We had no examples and no contacts. I never had an aunt who was a nurse to talk to me about the health care system... or an uncle who was a lawyer who could tell me he had a bad day in court.

We had to figure it out on our own. And it wasn’t even a question what we should be when we grew up. We had to go to school, get a job in a bank or as an accountant something that would give you stability.

FT: I was a single dad when I began being a stand-up comic, and I repressed it for years. My parents were embarrassed at first, and I understand now where that comes from: If it’s not a conventional job, they can’t relate to it. If they can’t relate to it, that creates fear.

PI: What’s your parenting technique?

MS: The first thing that comes to mind is: Oh my God! My mother was right! It’s interesting because my mom was born in 1936. Now my kids are in the internet era… and I am torn in between the two worlds. I remember how I was raised, and I didn’t turn out too bad. But kids have a lot to learn today because the world is changing so much, and so fast. I handle it very delicately. I draw a lot from the old, but I work very hard to understand the new. Before, everyone was confined to one kitchen. Now, I get home from work, one son is on Facebook, the other is on his Mac Book. Chi si parla più? I have to be “modern” because I want them to be a part of my life. So, I’ll often send them text messages during the day to keep in touch. There are advantages to technology - we’re in constant contact.

FT: Fusion parenting is like fusion food: I’m not sure how well it works. I would say that if there is a recipe, then taking 75 per cent of the way our parents raised us, and adding 25 per cent modern ideas is a good balance. The promise of this land is that we can have the best of both worlds. The beauty of the old world is that it instills timeless values like discipline and respect. We know who we are and that it’s a strength. Now, my generation of parents can open up the lines of communication.

That’s what was missing. There was not enough communication. In my day, you only went to your father if you needed money, or discipline.

[

[

Growing up “Italian”:

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” Fusion parenting is like fusion food: I’m not sure how well it works. I would say that if there is a recipe, then taking 75 per cent of the way our parents raised us, and adding 25 per cent modern ideas is a good balance. The promise of this land is that we can have the best of both worlds. The beauty of the old world is that it instills timeless values like discipline and respect.”

PI: What are today’s parents doing wrong?

MS: The best thing we can do for our kids is give them independence - not smother them and give them material things. We have to stop spoiling our kids, and make sure they are good citizens of the world, not just of the house. The other big mistake is not speaking Italian to our children. Besides the fact that it’s a patrimonial wealth, it’s part of our identity. The only way to stand up for yourself is to understand who you are. And to understand who you are, you have to know where you came from. So go to Italy, and meet the old man who knew your grandfather.

FT: My father always told me, ‘You are Italian by intent, not default.’ Our obligation is to be who we are by intent. In a mitigated way, we shouldn’t be scared to be tough. I love my sons, but I am not their buddy. I am their father… and they would describe me as being strict, even though I’m so much more lenient and progressive than my parents ever were. We need to engage our children in every opportunity. v

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Food & Tra vel

European Flavors T

The European flavors initiative was launched in January 2008 with the financing of the European Union, Italian Government and members of CSO (Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli). As of 2011, the project has been launched in Canada by the exclusive distributor Agrimondo Inc.

Promoting delicious, fresh European fruits and vegetables abroad

he three-year mission (2011-2013) aims to promote in Canada, United States, Russia, and Japan the extraordinary flavors, benefits and characteristics of both fresh and processed European fruit and vegetables, produced according to Italian styles and traditions, and inspired by simple yet healthy cuisine.

The European Flavors campaign seeks to present to the final consumer the various benefits of eating healthy and quality fresh produce, as found in the traditional Mediterranean diet, which is highly regarded as being effective for maintaining a healthy body. Some initiatives planned by European Flavors include promotional activities such as in-store sampling in Canadian retail stores, and Mediterranean cuisine seminars.

PLEASURE AND WELL BEING Today, consumers demand greater safety and more certainty and reliability regarding the origin of the food they buy. These demands are fully satisfied by the fruit and vegetables grown in the European Union; the fruit promoted by the European Flavors project is produced in compliance with European regulations and the highest safety standards. The fruits involved are: Italian grown kiwifruit, pears, citrus, and plums.

Eating 400g (16oz) of fruit and vegetables a day helps keep us in shape and protects us from many diseases. The level of protection is proportional to the quantity consumed; the more fresh fruit and vegetables we eat, the better protected we are. Even a small increase in the amount consumed can bring significant health benefits. Many types of fruits and vegetables are fat-free, rich in fiber and above all, contain more than 100 natural components that together guarantee exceptional results in terms of health, longevity, beauty and general wellbeing.

The healthy food pyramid highlights the fundamental importance of fruit and vegetables in a balanced diet. The Mediterranean diet, which reflects the eating habits of countries in the Mediterranean basin, such as Italy, Spain and Greece, is a healthy eating style thanks to its mix of wholesome foods and a wealth of quality products used to create exceptional cuisine. One of the predominant characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is that it is composed predominantly of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as high quality processed foods, in order to fully benefit of their extraordinary flavor and all their vitamins and dietary fibres. v

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Summer Sipping Let’s have an aperitivo!

By Gaia Massai

As the summer approaches, try these refreshing and lively wines. Whether you are lingering on the porch or catching the last rays of sun in the backyard, enjoy some delicious summerish whites and reds for an authentic Italian aperitivo experience! iterally, aperitivo is a pre-meal drink whose purpose is to stimulate appetite, but it has now become a social ritual in many bars throughout Italy. It is the most casual way to meet up with friends after work and it was already popular by the end of the 19th century in cities such as Turin, Florence,

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ALOIS LAGEDER PINOT GRIGIO 2009 Alois Lageder Alto Adige $18.95 (VINTAGES # 681429) 13% Alcohol/Vol. This brilliant straw yellow wine presents a pronounced flowery aroma with jasmine notes. Its long and fresh finish is a perfect expression of a high-elevation growing area as the Alto-Adige’s Südtirol region. When properly cellared, it will drink well over the next two to three years. Enjoy it with starters, light seafood, chicken dishes or mushrooms.

Venice, Rome, Naples, and Milan. The origin of aperitivo dates back to ancient Rome, when the most popular before-dinner drink was the “mulsum” made with red wine and honey.

Although the traditional aperitivo drinks are Negroni, Aperol, Campari and Vermouth, wine has become the most popular choice in the last decade.

Fresh and fruity whites or red, firm or sparkling; there is something for all tastes.

You can host an aperitivo at home too! Take some time to relax at the end of the day while dinner is cooking, enjoying the long lasting days of June. Food here is not the protagonist but I suggest some small finger foods as you sit back and let the day unwind in good company. Salute! v

VAL D'OCA PROSECCO DOCG 2009 Cantina Sociale Valdobbiadene Veneto $13.95 (LCBO # 340570) White Sparkling Wine 11.3% Alcohol/Vol. A lively semi-sparkling wine from the Valdobbiadene region in Veneto. Its fruity bouquet and tangy finish make it a perfect choice for aperitivo, while nibbling on toasted almonds and prosciutto dolce. Serve at 6°-8°C

TOLLOY PINOT NOIR 2008 Nosio

SAN FELICE PEROLA VERMENTINO 2009 Azienda Agric San Felice Tuscany $15.95 (VINTAGES # 222802) Dry White Wine 13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Full bodied white that releases refreshing hints of grapefruit and spring blossoms with a delicate citrus background on the palate. Youthful and versatile white, ideal for antipasti and with grilled fish.

Alto Adige $15.95 (VINTAGES # 193441) Dry Red Wine 12.5% Alcohol/Vol. This Pinot Noir is another fine expression of the Alto Adige region. The subtle earthy undertones are accompanied by aromas of red currant, blackberries and wild strawberries.

Medium bodied with light balsamic and vanilla notes resulting from twelve months of oak ageing. The tannins are soft and balanced. Try it with medium aged cheese, charcuterie, salmon steaks and grilled Portobello mushrooms.

MONTARIBALDI LA CONSOLINA BARBERA D'ASTI 2008 Az. Agr. Montaribaldi Piedmont $15.95 (VINTAGES # 182212) Dry Red Wine 13.0% Alcohol/Vol. An expressive nose of plums, cherries and blackberries.

Sweet tannins and moderate acidity make it a delicious companion to tomato based sauces and a great aperitivo starter!

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Food & Tra vel

31

Summe r Rec ipes With Nadia G

he’s fun, fresh, young, and fierce - The Food Network’s Nadia G cooks up a rockin’ storm Thursday nights on her hit series Bitchin’ Kitchen. Touted as the first successful show to go from net to network, Bitchin’ Kitchen became a runaway hit on the USA’s Cooking Channel after debuting last fall. And it’s no surprise: the budding starlet is beautiful, hilarious, and a creative force behind the cutting board. Best of all, she stays true to her roots: Nadia (née Giosia) makes no apologies for being homeschooled nella cucina di mamma and wears her Italian-Canadian charm on her proverbial sleeve. With season one in the books, the Bitchin’ Kitchen crew gets ready to lace ‘em up for a new string of shows starting in summer 2011. For now, let Nadia G suggest two fun summer recipes Panoram Italia readers are sure to savour.

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Blue-Cheese Burgers with Caramelized Onions and White Truffle Aioli Grocery List

Servings: 4 • Fresh organic ground chuck (2 pounds) • Eggs (3) • Garlic (1) • Lemon (1) • Red onions (3) • Fresh parsley (1 bunch) • Danish blue cheese (1/3 cup) • Artisanal onion buns (4) • Extra –virgin olive oil • White truffle oil (smallest bottle you can find) • Sea salt • Freshly cracked pepper

Gear: • Grill • Large frying pan • Food processor

Candied Pecan and Strawberry Salad (Appetizer)

Grocery List

Servings: 4 • Mesclun greens (6 cups) • Strawberries (2 cups) • Eggs (1) • Raw pecans (2 cups) • White balsamic vinegar, minimum 7yrs old • Extra-virgin olive oil • White peppercorns • Brown sugar • Sea salt • Crisp Rose wine (pompous recommendation: Fiumeseccu Rose 2006.)

Gear: • Parchment paper • Baking sheet • Medium mixing bowl • Large mixing bowl • Jar with lid

Caramelized Onions

Meat:

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Slice onions ¼ inch rounds, separate rings. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of sea salt to the pan and saute for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and saute for another 35 minutes, or until caramelized.

Set the grill on high heat. Separate the meat into 4 pieces. Loosely shape meat into 1-inch thick patties, don’t over-handle. Sprinkle the patties with a small pinch of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Grill patties for 2-3 minutes on one side, don’t move it. Flip it over and grill for another 2-3 minutes per side (for medium). Take the patties off the heat and let them rest for 5 minutes.

White Truffle Aioli Pour 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil into a measuring cup with a lip. Add 1 teaspoon of truffle oil, mix and set aside.

Skiaffing it Together In a food processor add: 4 cloves garlic, small pinch of sea salt, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 egg yolks. Blend until smooth. Keep blending and slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the olive-truffle oil mixture in a thin stream. Do this very slowly, otherwise it won’t emulsify/ thicken.

Still blending, add 1 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp filtered water. Then slowly add the rest of the oil in a thin stream. The mixture will thicken as you continue to blend it. When it’s slightly thinner than store-bought mayo, it’s done.

Place the pecans in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Dressing Add into a jar: 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp aged white balsamic vinegar (minimum 7yrs), 1 heaping tsp brown sugar, a small pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper. Close lid and shake until thick.

Skiaffing it Together In a big bowl combine: 6 cups mesclun greens, 2 cups of fresh strawberries, halved, and 4 tbsp dressing. Mix well to coat.

Place a cup of salad in the center of each plate. Throw on a generous handful of candied pecans. If you want to get really fancy, puree some strawberries with a big pinch of brown sugar and dot the side of the plate with it. Serve with a glass of crisp Rose wine.

Candied Pecans Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium-sized mixing bowl beat 1 egg white. Then add: 2 cups raw pecans, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 tbsp sea salt. Mix with your hands until all pecans are evenly coated.

Merch available @ nadiag.com Facebook.com/bitchinkitchen

Bitchinlifestyle.tv

Twitter.com/bitchinkitchen

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Welcome

Summer!

by Gaia Massai

Now that winter is a distant memory and the unpredictable spring weather is almost over, let’s welcome the summer sun and heat with some simple and delicious Italian dishes made with fresh, in-season ingredients! Pesto and its variations. he original pesto sauce comes from Liguria, a region where its particular microclimate combined with its ideal soil supports the growth of a variety of basil with unmistakable scent and flavour. Enjoy the following traditional recipe, along with some simple and delicious variations.

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Pesto alla Genovese Prep Time: 10 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients: • 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tablespoons pine nuts • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.

Recommended pasta: linguine, trofie Tips: 1. Just before tossing the pesto sauce on the pasta, add 1 or 2 tbsps of the pasta boiling water to give the sauce a creamy consistency!

2. Add cherry tomatoes cut in half as garnish for a great colour and flavour combination

Gaia’s Tip “Pesto sauce gets its name from the pestello, or pestle, traditionally used to crush the ingredients in a marble mortar. If you use the pestle and mortar instead of the food processor, the pesto will result more rustic and less creamy and it will take 10 mins more, but seeingthe ingredients transform right under your eyes while smelling the uplifting and wonderful scents of the crushed herbs...what a great cooking experience!”

Pesto di rucola e noci - Arugula and walnut pesto Prep time: 10 mins Servings 6- 8 Ingredients: • 2 cups packed arugula leaves, stems removed • 1/2 cup shelled walnuts • 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Combine the arugula, salt, pepper, walnuts and garlic into a food processor. Pulse while slowly adding the olive oil. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese.

Recommended pasta: rotini, farfalle Tips: You can prepare the arugula pesto or the pesto alla Genovese one day in advance; keep it refrigerated in a sealed container, covering it with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to prevent the sauce from darkening. You can freeze it too, always adding olive oil on top!

Pesto alla Calabrese Prep time: 20 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Servings: 6 Ingredients: • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1/2 teaspoon ground hot chilli pepper • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 500g (1.1 lbs) red peppers • 150g (5.5 oz.) fresh ricotta cheese • 2 medium shallots Combine the peeled shallots, red peppers (remove seeds and white spongy core), salt, hot chilli pepper and olive oil in a blender. Pulse for 2-3 mins. Add ricotta and pulse again for another 23 mins. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt if necessary. Transfer to a saucier pot and let cook covered, stirring occasionally over a medium heat for 10 mins while the pasta is boiling in another pot.

Recommended pasta: strozzapreti, spaghetti

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Food & Tra vel

“Perdersi a Pesaro: le avventure dell’Officina Macchini” Testo e foto: Laura Ghiandoni

È possibile entrare passando per una vietta dietro al porto. In officina il meccanico di rado è solo. Ci sono sempre con lui uno o due aiutanti e poi un cliente, un amico, un turista che chiede informazioni per arrivare alla spiaggia, ma soprattutto conoscenti.

Si scambiano due chiacchiere in amicizia, un saluto, tanto per fare sapere che ci sei, che stai bene e sei ancora in zona. L’officina Macchini è luogo d’incontro a Pesaro, località conosciuta tra le mete turistiche della regione Marche per la calma e la tranquillità dell’atmosfera, dei luoghi e degli eventi. Una cittadina, Pesaro, dove nessuno ti disturba, dove le musiche rombanti e i tunz tunz delle discoteche della Riviera Romagnola sono un eco lontana, perchè qui si balla il liscio, e le vacanze sono sinonimo di riposo. iorgio è al lavoro. Alto all’incirca 1 metro e 85, capelli bianchi, si mette con naturalezza in posa neo realista e punta dritti gli occhi verso l’obbiettivo mentre scatto, con le mani ancora nerastre (anche se è appena andato a lavarsele). Poi torna indaffarato ai propri macchinari, sposta leve e gira valvole che emettono ruggiti aspri e luci aliene che si riflettono solo su superfici nere.

Amata fresa e stimato tornio, con loro è cresciuto da quando è entrato il primo giorno in quella stanza di oggetti tutti imperlati di grasso. Giorgio Diminici non è della famiglia Macchini, ma dal ’67 fa parte dell’azienda, non ne è più uscito e ora è l’affittuario.

Fu Nicola Macchini attorno al 1860 l’artista iniziatore appassionato di pendoleria e meccanica, proveniente dal paesino ora chiamato Belvedere Fogliense (ma che prima era Montelevecchie) che, assieme al fratello Giuseppe aprì il laboratorio di produzione artigianale di pezzi per aratri, erpici e riparazioni di macchine agricole utilizzate per preparare i grandi campi alla semina, oppure per la raccolta delle dorate spighe. Alberi, boccole, pulegge, qui venivano realizzati a mano i pezzi per le trebbiatrici e i battitori, altri strumenti per pettinare le fertili colline marchigiane.

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Quella di orologiai fu una delle varie attività che li fece conoscere nel Centro e Sud Italia, grazie ad un lavoro di autopromozione tra i sindaci dei vari paesi. Gli orologi da torre venivano richiesti e commissionati direttamente dai primi cittadini. Le rondelle dentate quella volta si realizzavano a mano una per una, senza l’utilizzo della fresa. Ogni ora scattavano i perni che dovevano essere di fattura perfetta e gli orologi venivano caricati giornalmente alzando e spostando dei pesi. È possibile ammirare uno di questi esemplari conservato nella Torre Civica di Macerata Feltria.

Ma c’è dell’altro, i fratelli Macchini erano anche abili armaioli, tanto che si narra che il bandito Grossi, una notte andò a svegliare Giuseppe per farsi riparare lo schioppo per andare a compiere chissà quale scorreria, speriamo non troppo tragica.

Nel 1912 l’officina si trasferì a Pesaro, in via del Vallato e due anni dopo trasferirono ancora l’attività in Via Paterni, dove risiede ora. A quel tempo produceva pezzi per un’officina più grande, la Molaroni, che riforniva l’esercito italiano di proiettili. Si occupava inoltre di motori Arona, li istallava, aggiustava, e ne cambiava i pezzi per i pescatori del porto che trafelati, di notte tornavano dal mare con i motori in avaria.

Fu nel 1940 che presagendo l’arrivo dei tedeschi, Augusto ed il fratello Emiliano, figli di Giuseppe, decisero di nascondere le macchine sotterrandole nelle campagne di Rio Salso, la loro zona d’origine, nell’interno delle Marche, vicino Urbino.

Dopodichè Bruno, figlio di Augusto, partì per la guerra come silurista nei sottomarini. Si guadagnò numerose medaglie e, quando la guerra sembrava finita con il proclama del Maresciallo Badoglio trasmesso alla radio, fu concessa loro una licenza premio a Merano.

La guerra non era finita, il proclama emesso alla radio era ambiguo e fu mal interpretato e portò l’esercito italiano allo sbando.

La nave su cui erano imbarcati fu silurata, Bruno fatto prigioniero e portato al campo di concentramento di Silandro. Le donne invece furono rimandate a casa.

La moglie Olga aspettò a casa dodici giorni il ritorno del marito, dopodichè andò a Silandro lei stessa ad aiutarlo nella fuga, e questa è una storia a lieto fine, per fortuna.

Evasi Bruno e Olga tornarono in città, a Pesaro, ma dovettero andare a vivere tra gli sfollati a Novilara, paesino dell’interno pesarese, famosa tra gli archeologi e appassionati di storia per la necropoli e le stele picene, e qui, dopo qualche mese, fu dato alla luce Elio, il proprietario attuale dell’officina. Nell’attesa di tornare a casa, mentre l’Ottava Armata Britannica si guadagnava terreno sulla linea gotica e Pesaro veniva bombardata, Bruno tra gli sfollati a Novilara, offriva il proprio sostegno alla Municipalità riparando gratuitamente l’orologio del paese. Nel 1944 quando gli Alleati avevano ormai guadagnato terreno tornarono nell’officina. Riportarono le macchine alla luce, e l’officina Macchini riaprì i battenti.

L’officina nel 1956 si divise tra i due fratelli Emiliano che costruiva i pezzi per le macchine che lavorano il legno e Augusto a cui è succeduto Bruno, che costruiva verricelli salpa-reti e piccole macchine per la lavorazione del vetro.

Bruno fino agli anni ’80 portò avanti l’officina del padre,e adottò come un figlio Giorgio, a cui insegnò la professione, e che ora in movimento tra le antiche macchine perpetra la tradizione di braccia instancabili e gesti sapienti; abilità raffinate nel passare dei decenni, e poi trasmesse di bocca in bocca come prova d’affetto e di protezione da padre a figlio.

Lasciando che la tradizione continui e la polvere si posi sugli oggetti, ci allontaniamo mentre Giorgio è impegnato a dare istruzioni ai suoi assistenti sorseggiando un caffè.

Chissà, forse tra cento anni, durante la stagione estiva, un nostro nipote in vacanza a Pesaro, si fermerà a chiedere indicazioni cercando la via per le spiagge, passando per errore dietro il porto.

Un anziano signore accogliente nell’officina abbandonerà per un momento i suoi macchinari e troverà il tempo per raccontargli un’altra avventurosa storia. v

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Food & Tra vel

Jewel of

By Anja Karisik

The bustle of Toronto is muted from this side of the lakeshore. Only the bickering seagulls disturb the ebb and flow of the waves coming ashore. Sailboats loll lazily on the horizon while a thick sfumato binds the lake and sky. I hug my knees to my chest, embracing the legs that have journeyed so far from home. The breeze carries with it the smell of algae and mussels, or is that my imagination knitting away a narrative of its own? An indescribable nostalgia rises to my throat and I have to close my eyes to see my Adriatic safe haven. y eyes dance as I gaze upon the old town, its houses in pastel colours pressed together and fastened with surviving fortress walls. The terracotta roofs contrast the horizon blue sky. Tracing the contours of this ancient village is the broad Riviera, where tourists and locals promenade the café-lined shore. One feels the rhythmic pulse of this place strolling through its cobblestoned avenues. Every stone, every inscription, every doorway tells the history of this town. Rovigno is on the cusp of the real and the imaginary. I sought refuge here and the town’s open gates welcomed me.

I was born in Sarajevo, a bustling metropolis full of tolerance and cultural diversity, in the heart of former Yugoslavia. My vibrant community cracked while the world gaped at media reports of Balkan barbarism. I played hide-and-seek amidst the rubble and sniper shots. In the deafening silence between bombardments, my parents and I fled the siege of our city. With the help of old friends, we escaped westward to the Istrian peninsula in northern Croatia, to the seaside town of Rovigno.

The triangular peninsula has been at a crossroads between Central Europe, Italy, and the Balkans. It has passed through the hands of the Venetian Republic, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mussolini’s Italy,

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Yugoslavia, and now Croatia. But the glory of these recent occupiers is shadowed by centuries of Venetian rule over Istria’s coastal towns. In the thirteenth century, the Venetian Republic took over Istria’s western ports, establishing a link to the East, and ruled in this region until the end of the eighteenth century. As a result, Rovigno became more Italian in both culture and population. Nowhere is Rovigno’s multiethnic soul more pronounced than in the multitude of dialects one hears on the Riviera. The locals communicate in the Istrian dialect, a concoction of Italian and Croatian, specific to the town’s geographical position. A sensitive ear even picks up traces of Venetian, the dialect of a fallen empire, passed through generations of fishermen, scholars, and merchants.

Rovigno’s strategic location was promising for the Venetian Republic and it became wealthy as a result of trade. Stone quarries around Rovigno were the most important source of stone for Venice. Many civic and religious buildings in Venice, such as the Palazzo Ducale, the buildings on Saint Mark’s square, and the church of Santa Maria Della Salute, were built from the white stone of Rovigno’s quarries. This cross-Adriatic exchange left an imprint of Venetian influence on Istrian coastal settlements. Renaissance palazzi and former Venetian seats of government loom over

Istria

Rovigno’s main town square. Their interiors are decorated with coats of arms of Venice’s prominent families. The exteriors proudly display marble plaques with carved reliefs showing the Lion of Saint Mark. This winged animal was emblazoned on the gates and in the courtyards of subject cities. Passing under Balbi’s Arch, an elaborately carved gate to the old town, the conspicuous Saint Mark’s Lion greets the visitor again.

The lion holds an open book, which means that Rovigno accepted Venetian rule without war. Each haunting corner speaks of the glories of the Serenissima.

I rush up the stairs of Grisia Street, Rovigno’s major artery that is spotted with art galleries. I slip through tiny side streets and, breathless, reach the town’s pinnacle. Rovigno arose as a town beneath a small hill on whose highest point today stands the baroque church and accompanying seventeenth-century campanile of Sant’Eufemia, the town’s patron saint.

The church’s front façade is a symphony of undulating pilasters owing its beauty to a Venetian architect. The tower itself is modeled according to the famous Venetian Saint Mark’s campanile. The view from Sant’Eufemia’s campanile balcony encompasses the entire Adriatic Sea. Looking northward, rugged mountains act as a theatrical backdrop to the silent water.

Though the earth’s curvature hides her presence, I know that Venice lies in serenity on the opposite shore.

I stir from the warmth of my reminiscence as a chill wind sweeps the vastness of Lake Ontario. A burst of gold on the horizon catches my eye: a glimmer of Saint Mark’s dome or the trickery of nostalgia?v

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ROME

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Food & Tra vel

Planning your trip to the Bel Paese

By Laura Casella

First-timers’ guide to the splendors of Italy

Italy is bliss. The mere mention of the word conjures up visions of Venetian Canals, Tuscan hillsides, and Roman monuments. It is impossible to capture every treasure this country has to offer in just one visit. But if you are going for the first time, and do not know where to start, let us help you narrow down the choices. This two-week itinerary will take you to Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast. Andiamo !

First stop: Rome veryone will tell you that if you have never been to Italy before, a good place to start is Rome. It would take a lifetime to get to know this city filled with twenty-seven centuries of history, art, and architecture. Of course, you cannot see everything in just a few days, but there are some essentials or mustsees for every first-time visitor.

The first piece of advice any experienced traveler to Italy will tell you is to make sure you pack comfortable shoes as much of the sightseeing is done on foot.

There are many tours available to visitors including the option of taking a hop-on/hop-off bus, which will allow you to see this beautiful city at your own speed.

Or if you prefer something a little more guided, you can take a walking tour to such renowned monuments as the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and the Spanish Steps.

Even if you have never climbed them yourself, the Spanish Steps or the Scalinata di Spagna is a Roman staple. The steps are always filled with people, tourists snapping pictures, and various vendors selling jewelry and flowers. On a sunny day, it is nice just to go walking around the piazza, do some shopping, or read in the sun.

Of course, you cannot go to Rome without visiting Vatican City, home of the Pope and St. Peter’s Basilica. Take a tour of the Vatican Museums and be prepared to see an astonishing amount of historic art and master pieces such as the Sistine Chapel painted

by Michelangelo. It is best to do this with a guide because there is just so much to see and learn. And if you happen to be here on a Sunday at noon, you will be just in time to catch the Pope delivering a blessing from his window for all those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

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After days of sightseeing, head down to the Trastevere neighborhood, a picturesque old district of Rome on the other side of Tiber with a maze of alleys, full of old churches, small stores and many restaurants, pubs, and clubs.

Where to stay: Hotel Executive: 4-star and centrally located.

Polo Hotel: 4-star and situated within walking distance of Villa Borghese, if you are looking for something quieter.

Next stop: Florence We are now traveling by train to spend a few days in Florence, home to more world-class art and beauty, and within minutes of Tuscany’s wine country.

People who have been here will tell you there is nothing like it anywhere else. It is a place where old and new come together. While the signs of its Renaissance past still resonate everywhere you turn, it is also pulsating with modern life and vibrancy.

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Just like Rome, there are so many exciting places to discover here, such as the beautiful Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, also known as Duomo di Firenze, and its amazing baptistery; the Palazzo Medici Ricardi and its gardens (Giardini di Boboli), home of the Renaissance ruler Lorenzo il Magnifico; Basilica di Santa Croce, the final resting place for many of Italy’s most illustrious figures such as Michelangelo and Galileo; and the Piazzale Michelangelo, a belvedere offering the most impressive panoramic view of the city.

While there are no hop-on/hop-off bus tours in Florence, there are many options for half-day and full-day excursions.

If you love art you will definitely want to take a guided tour of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the most beautiful museums in the world. It houses some of the most important and valuable paintings of the Renaissance by Masters like Leonardo Da Vinci and Botticelli. Speaking of Masters, a trip to Florence is not complete without seeing one of Michelangelo’s greatest masterpieces, the statue of David, which stands at the Accademia Gallery.

If you would rather go out on your own, you can rent a car and take a day trip to Siena to visit the Cathedral or Piazza del Campo, or take a drive to the Tuscan countryside and visit the Chianti vineyards for a wine tasting. You can also visit Pisa for its famous Leaning Tower or Montecatini for its renowned thermal therapies, which are both short drives away.

Finally, you simply cannot leave Florence without shopping – and window shopping. Good bargains can be found at Mercato San Lorenzo, and if you are looking for gold, head to Ponte Vecchio – a magnificent medieval bridge that crosses the Arno River lined with jewelry shops.

Where to stay: Hotel Machiavelli Palace: 3-star and centrally located. Also near the market

Final Stop: Amalfi Coast Now we are heading south to another Italian jewel: the Amalfi Coast, a popular destination for honeymooners. The best way to get here is by car for a spectacular scenic drive from Florence. You can spend a week here visiting some incredible places like Sorrento, Ravello, and Positano while enjoying the breathtaking views of the Amalfi coastline itself.

The legendary island of Capri is a must-see while you are in the area. You can spend the day and take the funicular up to Anacapri village, which sits on top of a mountain. Enjoy the peacefulness of this quaint village while sipping on a glass of limoncello or enjoying a refreshing granita. And if you are itching to relax on a beach, Maiori is the place for you.

A ferry service will take you there. v Where to stay: Hotel Raito: located in Vietri Sul Mare and perfect for honeymooners. It has a private beach and views of the stunning Amalfi coastline.

Hotel Santa Lucia in Minori: if you are traveling with the kids and looking for somewhere more budget-friendly; also located close to the beach.

They say if you flip a coin into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish you will one day return to Rome.

So hurry now, book your tickets, and flick that penny to ensure a return visit, because there is no doubt that a trip to il Bel Paese will leave you wanting more!

Flights and hotels mentioned are available with Transat Holidays.

Plan your itinerary at www.transatholidays.com

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Hong Kong

Eating Italian in

A transplanted Italian-Canadian’s take on Italian cuisine made in China

by Amanda Fulginiti

Any Italian would agree that good food is like travel for your taste buds.

Although Italy did not unite until 1861, its cuisine can claim traceable roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Thus, it comes as no wonder that Italians take great pride in knowing that their cuisine is famous throughout the world for its fresh and delicious taste. But, would it come as a surprise to find out that Italian cuisine has managed to find its way across the Pacific Ocean into the heart of Hong Kong? Renowned as the culinary capital of Asia, the city boasts more than 11,000 restaurants offering a plethora of choices for every palette.

While for many this would make dinner reservations a daunting task for Sonia Basili, who once called this whirlwind city her home, eating Italian style was a way to remain true to her roots.

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hree years ago, Sonia embarked on a trip of a lifetime. Finishing up her Masters in Counseling at the University of Ottawa, she found a job opportunity teaching English in Hong Kong just to get her foot in the door. While there, she ended up finding something in her field and began working for a counseling service at a private practice that was affiliated with an international school. When asked to capture the city in just one word there was no hesitation: “Busy. There’s a great energy and your go, go, go and you’re doing this and doing that and sometimes it gets exhausting.”

Referred to as ‘New York on drugs,’ there is no doubt that Hong Kong is alive and running 24 hours a day. It is reported that over a million people take the metro every day - suddenly our transit systems do not seem all too crowded.

Back at home, Sonia would typically enjoy her mother’s Italian style cooking, but in Hong Kong eating out became the number one option. “In Hong Kong, you generally have long work days so there is a big restaurant culture. Also, apartments are really small and some are not equipped with a kitchen,” she

Kong

explains. But, why eat Italian in Hong Kong? While Italian would not be the first on a list of things to eat if you were visiting, remarks Sonia, it did become for her a source of comfort. Italian restaurants are generally concentrated in the Soho region, a more Western area of Hong Kong that attracts a more international clientele. While she was not expecting to find the best pasta dishes, she was surprised by the options available. La Piola for instance is run by an Italian from Piedmont. Sonia praises their excellent vitello tonnato, which she had never before eaten outside of Italy.

Another more budget-friendly option she notes was an Italian-Japanese “fusion” type restaurant known as the Italian Tomato Café Jr. The café serves traditional Italian pizza and pasta, while also offering some more interesting toppings like Japanese mushrooms and dried seaweed. “I would not recommend this to someone who was missing Italian cuisine, but I do have to say that their homemade cakes are very good!” she exclaims. Also of note, Paisano’s Pizzeria has locations spreading like wildfire around the city. This popular eatin or take-away pizzeria has a fantastic signature thincrusted 24inch pizza, which Sonia highly recommends.

Sonia’s first choice, however, would be the city’s great culinary tradition of eating dim sum, which literally means “touching your heart.” They are tiny snacks that come around to your table on a trolley, including a variety of steamed, fried or baked dumplings, buns and pastries, containing vegetables, seafood and meat.

Something not too far off from our own family cantina’s, Sonia explained, is Hong Kong’s sui mei (a generic term for roasted meats) shops. One of the favourite dishes on the menu is Chinese BBQ pork, which is loved for its sweet taste and wonderful aroma.

While Hong Kong’s drink of choice might be yum cha ('drinking tea'), Café Corridor, which offers its four signature coffee blends (Fuoco, Terra, Aqua, & Vento) and Barista Jam, with its stunning Marzocco espresso machine, can fill the void if you’re craving un bel caffè. Buon appetito, or rather sihk faahn 食飯 ! v

More of Sonia’s picks: • La Gondola does it just right; it’s located on one of the many staircase streets in Noho and they set up tables outside as customers come along. Their signature pizza: La Gondola - tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, onions, fresh basil, oregano - hit the spot and had me wanting more.

• Café Roma is a cozy neighborhood place where the menu focuses on southern country-style cooking; I’m a fan of their lovely personal sized Napoletana pizza and the bruschetta on thick bread.

• Il Bel Paese, sells all the staples for the Italian kitchen and also has a small upstairs seating area perfect for lunch. Cravings for mortadella & provolone are usually what keep me coming back for more. One thing is missing from this shop is pizza al pomodoro, though.

• Barolo’s chef from Genova lays out an excellent cold buffet spread. At Easter, they go all out, and include some of my favorites: porchetta, grilled fennel, and a cheese selection including Cacciocavalo!

• Posto Publico is up there on my charts. This American-Italian casual eatery was opened by a New Yorker who has been in the restaurant business for years. I would recommend the delicious Staw and Hay Tagliolini with peas& pancetta.

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I diplomati e laureati dell’anno

2010-11

Graduates of the year

Send us your graduation pictures!

Laureati e diplomati, mandateci le vostre foto!

Please submit your picture on www.panoramitalia.com by clicking on ‘Magazine’ followed by ‘Graduates of the Year,’ or by mail, and include the graduate’s name, institution, and field of study. Cost is $30.

Deadline for submission: June 27, 2011.

Pictures will appear in the August/September issue.

Si prega di inviare la foto a www.panoramitalia. com e cliccare prima su ‘Magazine’ e poi su ‘Graduates of the Year’, oppure spedirla per posta con nome, titolo, programma di studio ed istituto di provenienza.

Scadenza: 27 giugno, 2011.

Le foto saranno pubblicate nell’edizione di agosto/settembre.

Panoram Italia - 924 Brimorton Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M1G 2T9 info@panoramitalia.com

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Living Italian Style

Lifestyle

STEFANIA DI IULIO Nickname: La Steffi, Steffi, Stefa Occupation: Legal student, researcher & assistant Age: 29 Generation: Second Dad from: Sant’ Elia a Pianisi, Campobasso, Molise Mom from: Cite Meulenberg, Houthalen, Belgium (parents from Pescara, Abruzzo) Speaks: English, Italian, conversational Spanish & French Raised in: Toronto Passion: Travel Clothes: Clothes and shoes courtesy of Suzy Shier Favourite designer: Dolce e Gabbana Boutique: Holt Renfrew Restaurant: Ristorante Boccaccio Columbus Centre Favourite dish: Gnocchi al pomodoro Absolute must in the pantry: Peperoncino and varechina Type of wine/drink: Amarone Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Te facc vede iii” Last time you went to Italy: August 2010

Place you must go back to at least one more time in your life: Rome Favourite band or singer: Eros Ramazzotti Best Italian movie: Il Postino Italian soccer team: AC Milan Sexiest Italian: Paolo Maldini Dream car: Ferrari What you like most about our magazine: Interesting articles and a fresh take on our local community.

Suburbs or downtown: Downtown Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Una passeggiata on College Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Mare o montagna: Mare!

Thing about you that would surprise most people: I write poetry Best coffee in Toronto: Gatto Nero Best pizza in Toronto: Café Cinquecento Columbus Centre, al mattone Marcello’s Pizzeria Pet peeve: When people speak dialect and think it’s proper Italian.

Your fashion idol: My brother Dante Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Go for a walk in the city and sit on a patio Most common name in your family: Palmacchio (5)

You know you were raised Italian when: While other children ate peanut butter and jam my lunches consisted of panini filled with chicken cutlet, fries and peppers Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Robert De Niro Favourite colour: Green Spaghetti o penne: Penne rigate Favourite flavour of gelato: Caffé and Limone Favourite Italian song: Vivo per lei – Andrea Bocelli Favourite Italian city: Roma

LUCANDREA CAMPANELLI Occupation: Student at U of T in Italian Literature and History of the Italian Language Age: 20 Generation: Second Dad from: Bari, Puglia Mom from: Catanzaro, Calabria Speaks: English, Italian & French Raised in: Whitby, Ontario Passion: Cycling & reading Clothes: Shirt, sweater & jacket - H&M, jeans Jack & Jones, belt Gianfranco Ferre, shoes - Aldo Favourite designer: Giorgio Armani Boutique: H&M Restaurant: Nota Bene Favourite dish: Fettucini alla carbonara Absolute must in the pantry: Olive oil, fresh herbs Favourite Italian saying or quote: “Iddio ci vende tutti li beni per prezzo di fatica” Leonardo da Vinci Last time you went to Italy: 2008 Place you must go back to at least one

Photographer: Giulio Muratori Hair and make-up: School of Make-up Art Ltd. (SOMA) - Marvel Beauty School - Heather Haines; Taylor Durden; RuthAnne Ellen; Raschelle Smith Women’s clothing: courtesy of Suzy Shier

more time in your life: Rome Favourite band or singer: Coldplay Best Italian movie: Ladri di biciclette Sexiest Italian(s): Claudia Cardinale and Stefania Sandrelli Dream car: Ferrari 458 Italia What you like most about our magazine: It provides a wonderful overview of Italian culture, encompassing almost every facet of our rich culture.

Suburbs or downtown: Each has its benefits.

Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Having a panino and gelato along St. Clair Avenue.

Mare o montagna: The mare is ideal for relaxation but montagna is perfect for cycling Thing about you that would surprise most people: I have begun to write a novel.

Pet peeve: When someone fails to complete a…

Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Dining at the plethora of amazing restaurant Toronto has to offer.

Most common name in your family: Francesco (9) You know you were raised Italian when: Your lunch is substantial enough to satisfy you and your classmates.

Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: I would have loved to meet Director Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Favourite colour: Azzurro Spaghetti o penne: Penne Favourite flavour of gelato: Nocciola Favourite Italian song: Any of Puccini’s arias Favourite Italian city: Rome If never visited, which city would you like to visit: Messina Best memory growing up as Italian: Playing briscola with my grandparents over a glass of milk and Milano biscotti.

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DANIELA VOCI

ADAM LANCIONE

Nickname: Dani Occupation: Account Manager at Italian Canadian Savings & Credit Union Age: 28 Generation: Second Dad from: Catanzaro, Calabria Mom from: Cosenza, Calabria Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto

Nickname: Lanch Occupation: Student at York University in Kinesiology Age: 23 Generation: Third Dad’s parents from: L’Aquila, Abruzzo Mom’s parents from: Cosenza, Calabria Speaks: English & Italian Raised in: Toronto

Passion: Fashion, music & cupcakes Clothes: Clothes & shoes courtesy of Suzy Shier Favourite designer: Gucci Restaurant: Terroni Favourite dish: Lasagna Absolute must in the pantry: Nutella Type of wine/drink: Vodka cranberry with a splash of 7 up Favourite Italian saying or quote: “L'amor che muove il sole e l'altre stelle” – La Divina Commedia Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2009 Place you must go back to at least one

Passion: Soccer Clothes: Belt - Mexx, pants - Zara, shirt H&M, shoes - Aldo Restaurant: Pasta Varone Favourite dish: Linguine al mare Absolute must in the pantry: Pane Vittoria bread Type of wine/drink: Santal juice, Kronebourg beer Favourite Italian saying or quote: “eeedajjjje” Last time you went to Italy: Summer 2010 Favourite singer: Eros Ramazzotti Best Italian movie: Io non ho paura

more time in your life: Le Isole Tremiti Favourite band or singer: Vasco Rossi Best Italian movie: Classic - Cinema Paradiso; recent Amore, Bugie e Calcetto Italian soccer team: My dad taught me to love AC Milan.

Sexiest Italian: Gennaro Gattuso What you like most about our magazine: It is written in both Italian and English – which makes it more appealing to the younger generation of Italian-Canadians, who may not read Italian.

Suburbs or downtown: Downtown

Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Sitting on a patio with a good drink and good friends.

Mare o montagna: Mare Thing about you that would surprise most people: I like to play soccer.

Best coffee in Toronto: My Saeco machine in my kitchen Best pizza in Toronto: Regina’s on College Street Pet peeve: Bad drivers You know you are Italian when or if: You have enough sugo in the cantina to last at least two years.

Your fashion idol: Victoria Beckham

Favourite thing to do in Toronto: There’s so much to do!

Most common name in your family: Giuseppe You know you were raised Italian when: There was always an abundance of food – food is so important to Italian-Canadians Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Sophia Loren Favourite colour: Green Spaghetti o penne: Spaghetti Favourite flavour of gelato: Limone Favourite Italian song: Attenti al Lupo – Lucio Dalla

Italian soccer team: Roma Dream car: Aston Martin Suburbs or downtown: Downtown Best way to feel Italian in Toronto: Making wine and sugo Mare o montagna: Mare Thing about you that would surprise most people: I sing many cori dello stadio.

Best coffee in Toronto: Williams Coffee Pub Best pizza in Toronto: Avenue Food Boutique Café Pet peeve: Ignorance

To be considered for a photoshoot in future Living Italian Style sections, simply like Panoram Italian on Facebook, and express your interest on our wall. An administrator will get back to you with further details.

You know you are Italian when or if: You pronounce the names of all of your Italian friends properly.

Favourite thing to do in Toronto: Go to Air Canada Center or BMO Field.

Most common name in your family: Mario (2) You know you were raised Italian when: You always have food from nonna’s house.

Italian artist or actor you would like to meet: Max Mazzotta Favourite colour: Blue Spaghetti o penne: Spaghetti

Favourite flavour of gelato: Cocoa Favourite Italian song: Voglia di stringersi un pò (canzone dell’AS Roma) Favourite Italian city: Pescara If never visited, which city would you like to visit: Napoli Best memory growing up as Italian: Italy winning the World Cup. Favourite thing about being Italian: Family Plans for the summer: Work and make enough money to go to Italy!

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Emilio Pucci

Winners

True Grit Designers tap into Prairie Power with flowing blue dresses and feminine prints

By Joanne Latimer

There’s a return to Prairie-style romance this summer, with flowing dresses and fluttery tops. The effect is coy and feminine, recalling the 1970s celebration of Little House on the Prairie and, this time around, the Academy Award-nominated film True Grit.

Emilio Pucci

Prairie Power is everywhere with long skirts and flirty prints replacing body-hugging styles in urban neutrals. Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci leads the way with dipping hemlines and championing flounce. Skirts reach the floor, perfect for sitting side saddle on a horse or taking an evening stroll. Known for multi-coloured prints, Pucci went low key this season, focusing on cobalt patterns on ruffles and flounced cotton. Pucci’s head designer Peter Dundas described his collection as “Bohemian beachcomber done luxe”. Indeed. The same is true about Roberto Cavalli’s summer line of prairie dresses, also in deep shades of blue with girly gathers and pleats. These Prairie Power dresses look stunning with cowboy boots, western clogs or sandals.

Complete the effect with chunky bracelets - in any combination of wood, leather or beads - and dangly earrings.

Winners

Stewart Weitzman

Shopping Information: Aldo: www.aldoshoes.com Aquafolia: www.aquafolia.com Aquilano.Rimondi: aquilanorimondi.it Bath and Body: bathandbodyworks.com BCBG Max Azria: www.bcbg.com Cocolily: www.coccolily.com Emilio Pucci: www.emiliopucci.com

H&M: www.hm.com Mulcair: mulcair.com Parasuco: www.parasuco.com Stewart Weitzman: www.stewartweitzman.com Roberto Cavalli: www.robertocavalli.com Soïa & Kyo: www.soiakyo.com Suzy Shier: www.suzyshier.com Winners: www.winners.ca

Emilio Pucci

Coccolily

Emilio Pucci

Coccolily

Roberto Cavalli

Mulcair

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BCBG Max Azria

Emilio Pucci Emilio Pucci

Aquilano Rimondi

H&M

Stewart Weitzman

Aldo

Aldo

Suzy Shier

Aquilano Rimondi

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Caravaggio

and his followers in Rome.

An experience more than an exhibition

By Viviana Laperchia

Musician 1595 c..

“I can’t think of an artist that was more influential than Caravaggio; not only on painting, but certainly on film.”

An introduction by Marc Mayer, Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada (NGC), Ottawa which clears the way for a highly anticipated event for this country’s art scene. or the third time in North America and for the very first time in Canada, Caravaggio will be the protagonist of the North American exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death.

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From June 17 to September 11, 2011, in an effort to deliver a broader knowledge of Caravaggio, the curators of the exhibition, Dr. David Franklin, Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art and Dr. Sebastian Schütze, Professor and Chair Department of Art History at University of Vienna, will offer Canadians the opportunity to (re)discover the artist through an extraordinarily original approach.

With approximately 60 paintings, some of Caravaggio’s masterpieces will establish a dialogue with other equally great paintings by Caravaggisti or Caravaggesque painters, artists who were directly influenced by Caravaggio’s realism during his stay in Rome.

“This is not about showing Caravaggesque painters to illuminate their role in Roman painting,” says Schütze “but to use those Caravaggesque images to sharpen our view of the importance of Caravaggio

himself.” Works by painters such as Orazio and Artemisia Gentileschi, Bartolomeo Manfredi, Gerrit van Honthorst, Jusepe de Ribera, Valentin de Boulogne and Simon Vouet will be some of the highlights of the exhibition.

The juxtaposition explores four main themes spanning through almost all of Caravaggio’s subjects: Early Youth’s and Musical Subjects, Genre Scenes, Individual Saints, and Religious Narratives. The topics were conceived to offer an overall understanding of the Old Master.

Dozens of institutions and museums have been contacted in the past four years to obtain loans and convince directors to allow their most appealing paintings to travel overseas. Today, thanks to reciprocal favours, the NGC can proudly host Caravaggio’s master-works such as The Fortune Teller from Musei Capitolini in Rome, in exchange for some

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A rts Rembrandt works, apparently non-existent in Roman public collections.

The difficult process of obtaining a Caravaggio painting is partly connected, according to Dr. Schütze, to the extreme popularity of his art, rediscovered in the second half of the twentieth century: “It has to do with a change in aesthetics. It’s certainly not by chance that Caravaggio is also so important for photographers, and film-makers: he has a sort of dramatic close up, an illumination that comes really close to films and photography. He has so much to offer to contemporary artists and audiences,” explains Schütze.

Since the first 1951 Caravaggio exhibition in Milan, the artist became a ‘blockbuster’ celebrity as his paintings still managed to entice its viewers even after nearly 350 years had passed. In The Conversion of Mary Magdalene, for example, the woman is not depicted as a saint, but as a symbol of what happens to her at a psychological level in the moment of her conversion; an interpretation that drastically changed the traditional religious iconography of the seventeenth century.

The NGC is offering a sensorial experience that viewers can only have in front of the original paintings. “Their protagonists,” Schütze says, “seem to connect immediately with us by just looking at the pictures, and that is because of their strong physical presence, the dramatic foregrounding of action, the psychological and spiritual intensity these pictures express and also because of their sheer virtuosity of execution. These are all qualities which no reproduction will ever be able to communicate.”

Only a closer approach will reveal some hidden details of correspondence between his life and art.

When his life became more dramatic, his religious paintings became more spiritual, and the fact that he was always running away from place to place and did not have a studio influenced his brushing technique: “His technique became more pictorial – larger brush strokes – compared to what he would do in the beginning,” comments Schütze.

Caravaggio has always been in the spotlight for his turbulent and dissolute life which involved an alleged murder, several imprisonments and prostitutes (he used well-known prostitutes to paint religious figures). The intent of the exhibition is to forget the gossip and lead the viewers from a first stage of excitement for Caravaggio’s extraordinary talent to a deeper observation of his paintings. It will truly be a unique experience, as Canadians will witness original masterpieces conceived by one of the most influential masters in art history. v

Cardsharps 1594 c..

& Cu l tu re

Martha and Mary Magdalene 1598 c..

Sacrifice of Isaac 1602 c..

Ad Istituto Italiano di C Cultura, ultura, Toronto. 1/8 pg Panoram Italia T Toronto oronto Ed. June carlo.settembrini@esteri.it

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Canstage:

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spotlight.italy

Italian theatre lands in Canada

By Clelia Farrugia

La natura delle cose

he 150th anniversary of Italian unification partly explains the increased visibility of Italian theatre in Toronto and other parts of Canada this year; though in Quebec there is already a history of touring for many established Italian companies – such as Piccolo Teatro di Milano.

In Italy, theatre has great social and cultural relevance since it tends to focus on social issues within Italian society. Themes are universal and should therefore connect powerfully with people in Toronto.

If there were more opportunities to see Italian theatre productions in Canada, would our audiences take advantage? Italian-Canadians, long established in Canada, not always relate to contemporary Italian culture because their concerns are different from Italy’s. Nonetheless, the artistic community in Toronto believes that the presence of Italian theatre in Canada has the potential to be truly transformative for Canadian audiences whether they have Italian connections or not.

Matthew Jocelyn, Artistic and General Director of the Canadian Stage Company, is one of them. He believes Canadians strongly feel the humour and irony of Italian productions and have a keen appreciation of their style, which is different from the naturalistic approach usually found in Canada. Before the start of

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[

the festival, he was hoping Torontonians would appreciate the degree of precision of specifically two of the shows, La Natura delle Cose and Basso Ostinato who have according to Jocelyn “the capacity to create a sense of something that is spontaneous but that is in fact highly organised.”

Back in Canada after having spent 25 years on European stages, Jocelyn was fortunate enough to have developed numerous relationships with independent Italian companies, thanks to which the presence of the company of Virgilio Sieni, Compagnia Scimone/Sframeli and Compagnia Caterina Sagna at the festival was made easier. Jocelyn adds in a laugh

a new English version of Pirandello’s play Come prima, meglio di prima (Like the First Time).

(For more details: http://www.onelittlegoat.org)

The principal objective for the spotlight.italy Festival however, is to offer audiences a celebration of contemporary Italian theatre, in line with The Canadian Stage Company’s mandate to promulgate today’s theatrical art forms. Canadian audiences (and the Italian community of Toronto) will have the rare opportunity to sample the wit and inventive style of the latest production of Italian stage work. v

[

From March 15 th to the 26 th , The Canadian Stage Company presented their spotlight.italy Festival, a creative combination of theatre, dance, music, design and gastronomy conveyed into four powerful, unexpected performances on the Berkeley Theatre stage.

“It is always present, he says, somewhere at the back of their brain.” And hence the question: how can Canadians learn and emulate this longstanding history on our own soil. that “it turned out very opportunistic to be the 150th anniversary of Italy!”

Jocelyn reminds us that, unlike playwrights in a young country like Canada, Italian artists live with an unbroken theatre tradition going as far back as Ancient Roman farce. “It is always present, he says, somewhere at the back of their brain.” And hence the question: how can Canadians learn and emulate this longstanding history on our own soil.

This fall, an example will be made when a translation by two scholars of six plays by 19th Century dramatist and novelist Pirandello will be published by the University of Toronto Press. One Little Goat Theatre Company will also perform

La festa

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Il teatro-shock

di Pippo Delbono: l’AIDS, la danza e la Commedia dell’arte.

Viviana Laperchia

Pippo Delbono, direttore dell’omonima compagnia teatrale dell’Emilia Romagna, m’incontra nei camerini del Fleck Dance Theatre prima della sua esibizione a Toronto. Tra parrucche fosforescenti, Arlecchini e improbabili personaggi, Pippo mi concede qualche istante per raccontarmi come nasce questo suo ultimo lavoro che poche sere prima ha scioccato e divertito il pubblico dell’Harbourfront Centre.

Qual è l’ispirazione di Questo buio feroce?

Un’ispirazione importante è stata incontrare un libro in Birmania, per una casualità un pò magica. Nel Golfo del Bengala non ci sono libri, c’è la dittatura, e in un posto sperduto ho trovato questo libro che sembrava proprio mi aspettasse, tradotto in italiano, di un autore che conoscevo di nome. Questa è la sua biografia, il suo racconto verso il morire. È stata senza dubbio una grande fonte di ispirazione, perché l’ho presa proprio come una coincidenza. Ci sono tante ricerche, sulla danza, sul corpo; ci sono state esperienze importanti legate ad aver lavorato a lungo con degli allievi in Europa sulla danza.

Forti contrasti, musiche incalzanti, giochi di luce, esasperazione dei personaggi e poi anche Pirandello e la Commedia dell’Arte.

Cosa propone questo tipo di teatro? È un teatro che da una parte è nuovo, ma dalla altra si rifà anche ad una tradizione, quindi è antico. C’è un diverso rapporto di ascolto, però l’emozione arriva e quindi in qualche modo è un contatto popolare. Credo che sia un modo di raccontare che appartiene abbastanza al nostro tempo. La tradizione del teatro ha perso la sua funzione rivoluzionaria nella sua ripetizione, perché ormai il mondo è diverso. Quando c’era Pirandello c’erano altre cose terribili, ma non c’era l’AIDS, non c’era un paese come il mio, con questa grande forza e questa grande caduta culturale, etica, politica, spirituale. Mi devo rapportare con qualcosa che mi parli di questo tempo del presente.

Durante la rappresentazione, alcune persone sembravano scioccate, altre ridevano in momenti forse inopportuni. Come percepisce il pubblico il tuo modo di fare teatro?

La cosa peggiore sarebbe che una persona uscisse da uno spettacolo come il mio e dicesse “carino”. Per ridere non esiste mai un momento proprio o improrprio.

Uno può ridere anche morendo. Ci sono momenti

che hanno in sé il dramma ma anche la comicità. In Francia, per esempio, ridono; in Italia, non li ho mai sentiti ridere.

Attori “non convenzionali” e la partecipazione di un attore locale. Come è avvenuta la selezione e cosa ha spinto la scelta?

nel presente, e non è facile, perché bisogna essere lucidi. Non capiamo chi sono i buoni e i cattivi, ma nel percorso artistico si hanno delle intuizioni grazie alle quali si riesce a vedere di più. v

E quali sono gli attori convenzionali? Certo, c’è un ragazzo down e un uomo che è stato 46 anni in un manicomio. L’attore locale, che tra l’altro è un ex barbone, ha dei problemi psicosomatici (è uscito dalla schizofrenia) e non prende medicine. Stavolta ho voluto provare l’esperienza di fare una specie di audizione, con certe caratteristiche. Ho scelto lui con molta fatica, perhé anche gli altri tre avevano qualcosa di interessante. Questa persona aveva qualcosa che c’entra con la fragilità, con una ferita. È un attore, conosce il mestiere, ma sta in un’armonia e mi ha fatto piacere vedere questo in Canada. La struttura è rigidissima, ma all’interno di questo dipinto la sua anima esce fuori.

A cosa si ispira il tuo rapporto con la danza e qual è il suo significato in Questo buio feroce?

Con la danza parlo di cose che le mie parole non riescono a dire. Quando parlo, cito. Quando danzo, è Pippo che racconta qualcos’altro, del dolore, della libertà, della gioia. In fondo, anche l’attraversamento del tema dell’AIDS è un’esperienza dura ma importante della mia vita. La mia danza è qualcosa di vivo che parte da un pretesto e parla di altre cose. Il tema forte è la morte che vediamo solo come tragedia, come perdita o violenza, mai come una parte fondamentale della vita che diventa di tutti noi. L’opera deve diventare di chi la guarda.

La tua popolarità sembra essere più forte all’estero che in Italia. È un discorso ambiguo. In Italia non c’è mai stato un avvicinamento politico, nel senso che sono sempre una figura un pò scomoda. Cerco con il teatro di stare

Foto: Gianluigi Di Napoli

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Docs:

Thought Provoking Documentaries for Everyone

By Alessandro Bozzelli

I am Jesus

Heart Quake

When approaching the HotDocs Documentary film festival, I was highly sceptical that as someone who has little background in the liberal arts, I would find anything enjoyable to watch. I was wrong.

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he HotDocs Festival has gained international prominence in the last 18 years, featuring over 200 films from 43 different countries. As a passionate young Italian-Canadian, I became interested in the “Made in Italy” offering of the film festival.

There are 11 programs in the festival and only two, “Canadian Spectrum” and “Made in Italy”, are country-specific; showcasing the high level of quality and artistic achievements of current Italian artists.

The ten movies that comprise the “Made in Italy” program are quite diverse, but they all tackle important social issues: they are a window into the current Italian reality. Myrocia Watamaniuk, the international programmer who selected the documentaries, explains:“When presenting any national cinema, you want audiences to come away with an appreciation of the current state of documentary in a country – not only of the issues and stories that are on the minds of a nation’s filmmakers, but of the forms their storytelling takes. We’ve included films that explore issues not only on Italy’s national agenda, but also international subjects that take filmmakers across the globe showcasing a real diversity of styles, ranging from formally beautiful, observational docs, such as Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti ‘s The Castle, a look behind the closed doors of Milan’s international airport, to the viscerally dramatic narrative film HeartQuake, which chronicles the rather heart-stopping quest of one mother to save her infant son. We have downright quirky gems like Giovanni Buccomino’s portrait of Italian hippies, Valley of the Moon, “out there” eco-agriculture entrepreneurs in Giuseppe Schillaci’s Cosmic Energy Inc. There are also Italy’s irresistibly biting social exposes, like Federica Di

In I am Jesus, should one call the different Jesuses blasphemous impostors? Its director says his approach was “not to explore the question of whether these claims of the Second Coming were true or false.” The end result is a documentary which obliges the viewer to formulate his/her own opinion. Are these impostors crazy? High?

Why do people follow them? - So many questions, but no singular answer.

There is something in the “Made in Italy” program for everyone, whether one is artistically inclined or severely cynical. It thrusts the artistic talents of Italian cinematographers into the international limelight and forces the viewer to think critically about many issues surrounding Italy and the world today.

From religion to corruption and from humanity to inhumanity, if one has an open, inquisitive mind and attitude, these documentaries will provide plenty of food for thought. v

Giacomo’s housing policy satire Housing, and the much-celebrated corruption eye-opener Draquila – Italy Trembles, from Italy’s answer to Michael Moore, Sabrina Guzzanti. I am Jesus travels three different continents to find three fascinating people who claim to be Christ himself, while Gianfranco Rosi's El Sicario – Room 164 captures one of Mexico’s most notorious hitmen on camera as he confesses the simply unspeakable. The program as a whole celebrates new talents and established filmmakers, all of whom are actively participating in the re-imagination and broadening of documentary itself, at home and abroad,” she explains.

The beauty of the docs is that they provoke thought. So many questions that are raised have no easy answers, no singular “right” opinion or solution.

For example, how do you resolve the conflict in HeartQuake? A woman who is torn between saving her son’s life by leaving her country in order for him to receive life-saving surgery and a husband who threatthen here’s the ens to kill her three children ground floor opportunity you have been looking for. Tell us why you want this if she does not return home immediately. Stay in Italy sales career by sending your resume and covering letter to: and save one child or return Sales@panoramitalia.com to Kosovo and save three?

If you are se riously career in Me searching for a great dia Sales plea se

Answer the 4 Questifoonllsowing : 1. Are you a great C ommunicator?

2. Do you like people a nd great ideas ?

3.foWr oauldgreyaou love a sales career w or t Magazine in Toronto? king 4. Can you Sell ?

If you answered yes to all four questions,

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A rts

& Cu l tu re

Toronto Dreams Through Fellini:

pectacular SObsessions

By Laura Nesci

From June 30 to September 18, Toronto will be the first North American city to host Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions, a long awaited exhibition that will be showcased at Toronto International Film Festival.

oah Cowan, Artistic Director of the exhibition, and Atom Egoyan, prolific Toronto film maker and curator, uncover what TIFF has in store for its audience this summer. Both had experienced the show in Paris and were instantly captivated by how Fellini was able to capture Rome of the 1960s. The experience was “very emotional” describes Egoyan, who also admits having a strong relationship with Italian Cinema.

The reason why Fellini had a large influence on contemporary film, Egoyan says, is because “he excites people’s imaginations [with] extraordinary experiments in terms of visual language.” Cowan explains how they worked closely with Cineteca di Bologna which “loved the idea of an association with TIFF, because of the Festival’s worldwide reputation, and the city of Toronto, with its enormous Italian population.”

Cowan points out that “TIFF Bell Lightbox has a clear goal - to showcase moments when great cinema gives us a deeper understanding of our global culture.

N

Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions is a perfect example. It shows how a key moment in the early 1960s changed film, photography and the way we see our world.”

In addition to the Fellini films, the Lightbox is also featuring a film programme and exhibition to accompany the main showcase. A series of double bills will be mainly featured in July with the neorealist component making its way in August. Major film personalities, including Isabella Rossellini, have contributed by juxtaposing famous Fellini movies with other equally well-known films.

“I like the pairing of La Strada with Chaplin’s Limelight: both are about clowns, they are both sad and funny and both offer kind of ‘life lessons.’ These films have the power of a grandmother’s voice when

she puts a child to bed, and tells stories that will stimulate good dreams instead of nightmares,” says Rossellini.

Other pairs include 8 ½ and Beware of a Holy Whore (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), chosen by Atom Egoyan; Toby Dammit and Suspiria (Dario Argento) chosen by the screenwriter James Schamus; Juliet of the Spirits and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry) chosen by Jesse Wente, Head of Film Programmes at TIFF Bell Lightbox , to name a few.

Fellini grasped the influence he gained from the evolution of paparazzi culture in Rome at the time, evident in films like La Dolce Vita. “Fellini was the first to shift Italian culture from high art to the greatest phenomenon of mass culture,” Egoyan exclaims.

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Fellini Restaurant Promotion The Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions exhibition in collaboration with Villa Charities will also be a good opportunity to take advantage of great promotions happening at one of Toronto’s preeminent Italian restaurants: Grano (2035 Yonge Street). From June 30 to September 18, if patrons order the featured menu item dedicated to Fellini, they will receive 2-for-1 entry vouchers to the exhibition.

“The popular, vulgar culture was coming to dominate certain aspects of even Italian intellectual lives, Egoyan continues, and Fellini was one of the first artists to record this.” He was able to envision and anticipate the current situation in Italy and the extreme domination of media culture that emerged under the government of Silvio Berlusconi, who radically transformed the lifestyle and politics of the country.

“This celebration around Italy’s unification meant it would be a remarkable year for Italians in Canada - it felt like perfect timing to remind all Canadians about a great director - maybe the greatest - and how he shaped not only the way we see Italy, but how we see the world,” Cowan explains.

On the other hand, Egoyan admits that Canadians may not notice the obvious links between the films and Italian culture, but viewers of all backgrounds will certainly be indulged by the depth of Fellini with “an entry into the mind of a great creative imagination [combined with the] use of spectacle as a way of trying to understand our own psychology and our own neurosis.”

Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions is an exhibition that plunges every spectator into the flimsy nature of dreams, powerfully expressed through iconic images.

Not to be missed! v For additional information, dates and showtimes, please visit www.tiff.net

Since the restaurant celebrated its 25 th anniversary on May 14, 2011, Roberto Martella, eclectic owner and impeccable host, has planned numerous events throughout the year including a special meeting with winemaker Chiara Lungarotti, a prezzo fisso ($25 for 25 years) dinner kindly put together

by Gianluigi Peduzzi of Rustichella Pasta, and a ‘meet, eat and taste’ evening with Alberto Zenato.

If cinema, wine and food are still not enough for you thirsty Italophiles, Grano offers its’ 20year tradition of L anguage & Linguine Italian lessons. What a better way to learn la bella lingua, while tasting, sipping and singing as the Romans do?

For a 360 degree experience of Italian culture, the marriage between Fellini and Grano is a match made in heaven.

More info at www.grano.ca

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Business

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Joseph Iannicelli, from modest beginning to financial industry leader in Canada

By Rita De Fazio-Dos Reis

“ Today, Canadian Italians are politicians, doctors, engineers; they are making a difference and laying the groundwork so that others may be able to do the same.

“

Joseph Iannicelli, a once-aspiring actor, was born in Toronto, Canada in October 1961, merely two weeks after his parents arrived from Naples, Italy. His life’s journey is the epitome of the first generation Canadian success story. He distinguishes himself, both for his achievements and influence in the financial industry. For the third year in a row, he was named among the top newsmakers of 2010, according to Finance et Investissement magazine’s feature of Top 25 leaders in the financial services industry in Québec.

Like father like son? oseph’s father was determined that his son would pursue higher education and hoped for a different fate for him than his own. Joseph recalls telling his parents that he wanted to be an actor, “My dad said, ‘Absolutely not!’ He showed me his callused hands and said, ‘You don’t want these hands…You want to carry a pencil, not a hammer, and you want to find a job where you wear a suit and tie.’” And so, two university degrees later, and strong work ethics, he is the president of Standard Life Financial in Canada.

Joseph says he sort of fell into the financial industry, “When I graduated with an Economics degree in ’84, it was quite difficult to find a job in Toronto. I did not have any connections or contacts, so I worked in retail – selling shoes – for a year, then went back to York University (Toronto) for a second degree in Administrative Sciences. I met my wife, Mary, whose aunt worked in the insurance industry. I applied with the company she worked for and got my first job underwriting U.S. risk.” In 1992, he joined Standard Life and over the years has taken on positions of increasing responsibility, rising from regional sales manager, to vice-president, marketing and, finally, to president in 2005.

The Iannicelli family relocated from Toronto to Montréal when Joseph became head of Standard Life’s largest operation outside its Edinburgh,

J

Scotland headquarters. He oversees over 2,000 employees, providing longterm saving, investment and insurance solutions to more than 1.4 million Canadians, including group benefits and retirement plan members.

For someone who always aspires to help others, Joseph appreciates that he works in a sector which takes people’s financial well-being to heart.

“We’re in the business of not only managing people’s money, but, we have the responsibility to fill the need to help them understand and become involved in planning their personal finances. In fact, we recently launched a series of videos, developed to help people better understand their workplace retirement statements, and to motivate them to be more involved in their retirement planning,” says Joseph.

Setting the example Characteristic of his leadership role, Joseph is active in a number of business groups, such as the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada, where he is a member of the board of directors. Joseph’s renowned business savvy and respect for his Italian origins greatly contribute to facilitate collaboration between the two countries.

He also helps people by being involved in his community and working with several charitable organizations, such as the international youth mentoring organization Big Brothers Big Sisters, enabling young Canadians to become responsible citizens. His involvement has also generated support for pediatrics, mental illness and cancer research.

He hopes to set a positive example for his three teenage children. “I consider myself lucky to be part of a generation that is able to contribute intellectually to this country,” Joseph says. “Today, Canadian Italians are politicians, doctors, engineers; they are making a difference and laying the groundwork so that others may be able to do the same. We can’t take things for granted, though. It is part of parents’ legacy to their children to excel and go beyond the achievements of previous generations. It’s necessary that kids see this example so they might emulate it.” So, what’s next for Joseph Iannicelli? A pursuit of his passion for acting, during his retirement years, perhaps? v

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Business A dvertorial

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Standard Life: Solving the issue of overhead for the underdog

By Marc Beaulieu When your country launches a task force to teach you about saving money, you know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a bit of C ȨPCPEKCN RKEMNG #U %CPCFKCPU YG LWUV CTGPoV VJCV IQQF CV UCXKPI OQPG[ 9JQ KU [QW CUM! 9GNN VJG TGUV QH VJG YQTNF CEVWCNN[ 5VCVKUVKEU HQT UJQYGF VJCV %CPCFKCP JQWUGJQNFU UVKNN UCXG VJG NGCUV VTCKNKPI (TCPEG )GTOCP[ +VCN[ VJG 75 CPF VJG 7- 9KVJ VJCV KP OKPF VJG HQNNQYKPI UJQWNFPoV UWTRTKUG WU GKVJGT C TGEGPV RQNN EQPFWEVGF D[ +RUQU 4GKF QP DGJCNH QH 5VCPFCTF .KHG UJQYGF VJCV QH %CPCFKCPU UWTXG[GF pFQPoV MPQY YJCV VJGKT RTQLGEVGF KPEQOG YKNN DG WRQP TGVKTGOGPVq +VoU ENGCT VJCV YQTMRNCEG TGVKTGOGPV RNCP RTQXKFGTU NKMG 5VCPFCTF .KHG CTG KP C RQUKVKQP VQ JGNR %CPCFKCPU WPFGTUVCPF YJCV UCXKPI HQT VJG HWVWTG TGCNN[ OGCPU p+H RNCP OGODGTU FQPoV HWNN[ WPFGTUVCPF JQY CPF YJ[ VQ UCXG VJGTG KU C RTQDNGO YGoXG IQV VQ IGV VJGO VJKPMKPI CDQWV UCXKPIq UC[U #PPC &GN $CNUQ #UUQEKCVG 8KEG 2TGUKFGPV QH 4GUGCTEJ CPF +PVGNNKIGPEG HQT 5VCPFCTF .KHG 6JG IQXGTPOGPV OKIJV CITGG 6JG IQCN QH VJG 6CUM (QTEG QP (KPCPEKCN .KVGTCE[ KU VQ KORTQXG VJG UCXKPI JCDKVU QH %CPCFKCPU CPF WNVKOCVGN[ DQQUV QWT GEQPQO[ $WV YJCV ECP YG FQ WPVKN VJGP! 9JCV ECP %CPCFC HQEWU QP WPVKN YG IGV IQQF CV UCXKPI! 5VCPFCTF .KHG JCU HQWPF C UOCNN UQNWVKQP s NKVGTCNN[

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Marc Beaulieu is a senior analyst for Standard Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group savings and retirement communications team.

The Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada April 2011

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By Laura Nesci

Caritas - A new home

For nearly 30 years, Caritas has been a lifeline for families and individuals dealing with the difficulties associated with drug and alcohol addiction. On April 12th, the organization celebrated the much anticipated grand opening of its new centre at 1880 Ormont Drive in Toronto, presided over by Fr. Gianni Carparelli.

Visitors and media were invited to the new facility for a tour of the centre which includes a kitchen, gym, classroom and recreational area for those spending their days in rehabilitation. Equipment such as computers, books, CDs, as well as furniture were all donated by the Italian Community and others within proximity of the Centre. Not only does Caritas offer individuals the opportunity to face their addiction, it also allows them to reintegrate into society while raising awareness. On May 1, 2011 the annual Caritas-Telethon closed at an amazing $227,750.00, with proceeds going to their honourable cause.

For further information or to make a donation, please visit: www.caritas.ca or the program can also be reached at 416.748.9988 or help@caritas.ca

Villa Charities 40th Anniversary 2011 marks Villa Charities’ 40th year of commitment and community involvement in the Greater Toronto Area. What began as an idea to create a home for seniors in 1971 has evolved into a vibrant organization designed to meet the needs of an ever-growing multicultural community.

In addition to providing culturally sensitive care for the elderly, Eddie and Lucy Fidani with Pal Di Iulio the Villa Charities family of organizations is also committed to assisting individuals with intellectual disabilities and has a mandate of encouraging community participation through fitness, culture and the arts. Please join the Villa Charities community in celebrating this milestone with various events that will be held throughout the year, including the 40th Anniversary Celebration at Columbus Center from June 24th to the 26th. To kick off the festivities, Villa Charities celebrated with family, friends and volunteers on April 17, 2011 (see pictures).

For additional information regarding events and how you can contribute, please visit www.villacharities.com or email luana.damore@villacharities.com.

Italian Heritage Month - June 2011 As the 150th anniversary of Uni-fication drew closer in Italy, the Ontario Legislator passed Bill 103 declaring the month of June Italian Heritage Month. A month to celebrate all things Italian, it is also a time for all to come together as a community to commemorate our accomplishments and heritage, as well as to inspire the next generations within the community. The aim is to celebrate contributions that span through many fields such as music, film, art, cuisine, and literature, to name a few. Events planned for the month include Festa della Repubblica at Queen’s Park on June 2nd, the Blue Jays’ Italian Day on June 12th, Taste of Italy on College from June 17th to 19th, and many more.

For additional information please visit: www.canadese.org, www.italianheritagecanada.ca or www.italcanpiazza.ca or email events@italianheritagecanada.ca

Abruzzo Domani Nearly two years after the earthquake that devastated an entire country, the people of Abruzzo are still working hard to rebuild and regain what they have lost. Toronto’s Abruzzo Earthquake Relief Fund (AERF) announced on April 4, 2011 that they have reached an agreement with l’Università dell’Aquila to help fund specialized equipment in the Department of Biology and Applied Science at the Research Centre of Molecular Diagnostics and Advanced Therapies. Along with a contribution from the Province of Ontario, AERF will donate a total of 1,150,000 EUR (approximately 2,000,000 CDN). The hope is that by helping with the university’s reconstruction, which plays a key role in the region, AERF will help with the overall revival of the region’s capital, L’Aquila. Our thoughts as Canadians with roots in the Abruzzo region are always with those suffering and working tirelessly to get their lives back on track.

For additional information, please visit: www.abruzzoearthquakerelieffund.ca

Tre Colori Pelmo Club

Roma Cares 2011

Tony Gareri, Constance Bleeker, Teresa Perlman, Joseph Talotta.

On May 5, 2011 Roma Moulding held its annual Roma Cares benefit to raise awareness and funds for Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital. The evening’s theme focused on art, wine and cheese from around the world, and featured live music from Vaughan Music Academy students, a silent auction and other fun entertainment. The event was attended supported by Mayor of Vaughan Maurizio Bevilacqua, local councillor Rosanna De Francesca, Miss Teen Ontario and company employees, family and friends. In total, $30,000 was raised with 100% of proceeds going to the Hospital.

For additional information or to make a contribution, please visit: www.romamoulding.com

Vaughan in Motion

With over $650,000 already donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, volunteer-based organization Vaughan in Motion aims at supporting families within the community by raising funds towards programs and equipment for Cancer prevention, detection and treatment. VIM’s fundraising takes place at three main annual events, including the Gala to Cure Cancer held in March at Terrace Banquet Centre, the Walk to Cure Cancer held in May at Vaughan Mills, as well as Golf to Cure Cancer Golf Tournament to be held on June 9, 2011 at RedCrest golf course - Cardinal Golf Club’s newest addition.

For additional information please visit: www.vaughaninmotion.com or email info@vaughaninmotion.com Ten years ago, President Giovanna Benedet founded Tre Colori Pelmo Club as a gathering place for its members, which now number over 300. Its popularity with Italian seniors is evident through the many social events and gatherings that are regularly organized, one of which being a group trip to Cuba. Members also get together Wednesday and Thursday evenings for Bingo and other recreational activities. In addition to weekly gatherings, there was the annual Ballo Primavera held on April 29th, and there will be an annual picnic scheduled for July 2011. Enjoy!

For further information contact Giovanna Benedet at gbenedet@hotmail.com

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T oronto,

News &Events

Dal cuore di

Lo scorso 24 febbraio, con la proiezione del celebre film storico Vincere di Marco Bellocchio al palazzo del Toronto International Film Festival, Cristiano de Florentiis e Maurizio Magnifico, fondatori dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione culturale Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia, hanno inaugurato una nuova stagione cinematografica, nonchĂŠ un nuovo capitolo per la comunitĂ italiana di Toronto. ono trascorsi quasi dieci anni anni da Sarrivati quando un gruppo di amici appena a Toronto si ritrovava regolarmente con la voglia di stare insieme per giocare a calcetto o per guardare lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ultimo film uscito nelle sale italiane.

Nata con il proposito di instaurare un rapporto di vicinanza con lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia contemporanea e con ambizioni un poâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; diverse da quelle di oggi, Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia ha subĂŹto unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;evoluzione che ha trasformato quel piccolo gruppo di amici in unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione culturale. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;era uno scarto tra quelli arrivati da poco e lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;immigrazione tradizionale

E XTRA EXTRA E XTRA EXTRA

Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia si racconta

italianaâ&#x20AC;?, spiega Cristiano de Florentiis, presidente dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ci vedevamo una volta ogni quindici giorni. Poi pian piano, senza promuoverlo, gli amici sono diventati sempre di piĂš con il passaparola. Ă&#x2C6; diventato un gruppo molto numeroso che voleva vedersi piĂš spesso, che rilanciava eventi culturali a cui partecipare, tra cui il cinema insiemeâ&#x20AC;?.

Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia, però, non è solo cinema.

Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;è anche musica, teatro, enogastronomia e la cucina autentica di ristoranti italiani che amano le iniziative culturali dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione. Ă&#x2C6; un approccio informale e amichevole quello che accompagna gli eventi che avvicinano gli italiani di Toronto allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia di oggi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quello che per me era difficile trovare a Toronto era unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;asso-ciazione non regionale, non campanilistica, che facesse cose contemporanee, dando unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;immagine dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia che è quella dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia di oggiâ&#x20AC;? continua Cristiano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;erano tanti enti che facevano rassegne su Rossellini, sul neorealismo, eccetera, ma era difficile trovare film di quellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anno o dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;anno precedenteâ&#x20AC;?.

La nuova ambizione, non solo per lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione, ma per la cultura italiana a Toronto, è riappropiarsi del cuore della

cittĂ . â&#x20AC;&#x153;La comunitĂ si è spostata negli anni molto piĂš a nord e cosĂŹ i suoi eventi culturali e le manifestazioniâ&#x20AC;? spiega Cristiano, sottolineando la necessitĂ di riportare lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;incontro comunitario nel cuore culturale della cittĂ .

Dopo lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Istituto Italiano di Cultura, che offriva inizialmente lo spazio necessario a tali incontri, i membri dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione, naturalmente sempre piĂš numerosi, hanno successivamente trovato un nuovo punto di riferimento nel Royal Ontario Museum, che per diversi anni ha ospitato le serie cinematografiche.

Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;approccio non periferico alla diffusione della cultura italiana ha motivato fortemente i giovani italo-canadesi di seconda e terza generazione ad associarsi a unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;idea dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia di oggi, piuttosto che allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia di ieri. Ad essere coinvolti sono stati soprattutto i gruppi italiani della York University, della University of Toronto e il Centro Scuola, che ha recentemente proiettato un film per i piĂš giovani della nostra comunitĂ .

La presenza di unâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;associazione di tale spessore al TIFF Bell Light Box, il nuovo palazzo del festival del cinema internazionale di Toronto, ha un significato molto ambizioso. Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;idea di un

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festival del cinema italiano, secondo Cristiano de Florentiis, non è necessariamente positiva. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In una settimana, massimo due, câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;è una programmazione di circa 20-30 film e il pubblico a cui piace il cinema italiano ne riesce a vedere solo uno o due e passa un anno intero senza vederne altriâ&#x20AC;?.

Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;idea di un â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cinema Italiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, con una programmazione diluita nel corso di un anno permetterebbe al pubblico di vedere piĂš film e di essere sempre informati attraverso i giornali. La distribuzione del cinema italiano in Canada, spiega Cristiano, è poca e il passaparola non funziona. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia punta a diventare un riferimento per la cinematografia e la prima pietra per questo progetto è il passaggio al TIFFâ&#x20AC;?.

Con circa 700 membri tra soci e sponsor, che oggi siedono comodamente nelle poltrone del TIFF, il cinema canadese piĂš importante, le scomode sedie di plastica che schricchiolavano sembrano ormai un ricordo lontano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sono cresciuti i numeri, è cresciuto il livello qualitativo, ma la filosofia è la stessaâ&#x20AC;? confessa Cristiano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ci auguriamo che Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Altra Italia, possa diventare il motore per far si che lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia e il Canada si conoscano meglioâ&#x20AC;?.v

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Toronto June 2-64_Layout 1 11-05-25 4:44 PM Page 58

News &Events

58

Art in Motion at Liberty Village By Marisa Daniele

A red-carpet entrance, ambient lighting and a pervading buzz of excited chatter set the auspicious tone for the Italian Fashion 2011 soirée in Toronto last April 14, 2011.The alluring event was the highlight of the week’s schedule of various activities initiated by the Italian Trade Commission (ITC), in conjunction with participating prominent retailers, situated in the affluent Toronto Yorkville neighborhood.

The Glass Factory in Liberty Village was the ideachoice of venue – a cavernous space in a dramatic milieu, conducive to accommodating the binary function of set and runway, for the evening’s proposed entertainment.

Guests mingled over Prosecco and savory canapés in elegant attire while eagerly anticipating the exquisite Italian fashion presentation: Art in Motion, a brilliant production encompassing a creative fusion of Modern and Classical Ballet set to Contemporary Italian music.

The dance company responsible for choreographic production was the acclaimed ProArteDanza Company founded by accomplished dancer, artistic director and choreographer Roberto Campanella.

Bursting on to the runway/stage, scantily swathed in paisley-printed silk –chiffon, both female and male dancers moved with dynamic agility and precision.

Globally-renowned Italian designer fashion from the likes of Etro, Armani, and Versace - and a host of other fine Italian brands - comprised the selection for the evening’s fashion presentation.

Attendees were treated to a show that certainly balked convention in many ways, from the whimsical pairing of men’s linen jackets with silk boxers to the highlight and culmination of the show: a literally, stomping display of designer metallic-hued shoes (courtesy of David’s) worn on the hands of the dancers as they crawled across the stage on all fours! v

Inspired by Canada Art Exhibit By Viviana Laperchia On March 29, 2011, the Columbus Centre hosted the Jospeh D. Carrier Art Gallery and McMichael Canadian Art Collection for a unique and memorable celebration of Italian and Canadian culture.

The exhibit included paintings by Canadian art masters of the Group of Seven (renowned landscape painters from the 1920’s) and works by some of the best Italian-Canadian contemporary painters similarly inspired by the iconic Canadian wilderness.

Tom Thomson (1877–1917), Byng Inlet, Georgian Bay, 1914-15 Extraordinary paintings by Tracy Thomson (Colero), great-grandniece of Tom Thomson, and the late Albert Chiarandini, as well as Tony Bianco, Sam Paonessa, Giuseppe Pivetta, Germinio Politi, Salvatore Gallo and Joseph Catalano, dotted the Carrier Art Gallery’s ground floor.

Lori Abittan, President and CEO of Multimedia Nova Corporation, by virtue of her commitment to the multicultural reality of our country, pointed out that although the Group of Seven artists were mainstream figures who defined the Canadian spirit over a century ago, “they were revolutionary in their time, for they saw a country with new eyes.” Cultural enrichment stemming from Europe influenced the Canadian scene, creating something completely new. “Inspired by Canada is a milestone, in that it recognizes the incredible intercultural heritage Canadians possess,” she proudly stated.

As a further cultural exchange between Canada and Italy, to celebrate Ontario's Italian Heritage Month, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection will offer special tours in Italian on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, 2011. Educator Nadia Panacci will show guests through the McMichael Highlights and McMichael's temporary exhibitions which include Ivan Eyre: Sculpture in Context, Marc Aurèle Fortin: the Experience of Colour and Steeling the Gaze: Portraits by Aboriginal Artists.

More info at http://www.mcmichael.com/ v

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Sports

60

Serie

A

Season

Recap

By Adam Zara

2010-11

Milanisti and napoletani excluded, the past Serie A campaign left little for most fans to feel optimistic about. From dismal European performances, to underachieving squads in league play, a significant dipping in the quality of Italian-born players and crumbling infrastructure, Italy’s football league suffered greatly as a result. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights from the 2010-11 season.

AC Milan: Campioni d’Italia The rossoneri secured their 18th Italian championship following a 0-0 stalemate with AS Roma on May 7th. Milan’s impressive defensive record ultimately made the difference throughout the campaign. Veteran keeper Christian Abbiati came up big by shutting out his opponents in half of his appearances, arguably becoming the nation’s current best shot stopper in the process. At the back, star Brazilian center-back Thiago Silva and resurging veteran Alessandro Nesta were solid as rocks, largely responsible for the league’s best ‘goals against’ record. Up front, Milan counted on Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s scoring prowess for large spells of the season, while Brazilian Robinho also provided a hefty goal tally.

Inter’s fall from grace It’s safe to say that expectations were high for treble-winning Inter at season’s start. Newly led by champion coach Rafa Benitez, the nerazzurri ’s unstoppable run was seemingly sure to continue. Alas, Jose Mourinho’s departure for Madrid would affect Inter

more than anyone would have guessed. With an uncharacteristic four losses and five draws by game 15 in December, and despite having just won the FIFA Club World Cup, coach Benitez was sacked and replaced with Brazilian Leonardo – formerly of AC Milan. The change was for the better, as Inter cruised to second place by season’s end.

The rise of Napoli Captain Paolo Cannavaro’s tears of joy at the triplice fischio of May 15‘s 1-1 draw with Inter said it all.

Having gone from Serie B to a third place finish in the span of five years with the club, the native napoletano was entitled to bear his emotions. Napoli’s dream run saw the side reach a Champions League spot for the first time since 1990. The other huge story in Naples was striker Edinson Cavani’s world-class form, finishing second behind Antonio Di Natale for the capocannoniere crown.

Italy’s loss of prominence in Europe With four Champions League spots awarded to the top three leagues in Europe each year, a major power shift occurred in 2011 favouring the German Bundesliga. Due to a questionable UEFA coefficients system, as of the 2011-12 season, Serie A’s fourth Champions League spot will go to a German side.

Considering that Italian teams have fared far better in Europe’s most prestigious tournament over the years, the decision comes as a bitter pill to swallow.

This campaign’s ‘best’ Europa League Italian performance came from Napoli who was unceremoniously knocked out of the round of 32 by Villareal. In the Champions League, Roma and Milan were taken out in the round of 16, while defending champions Inter were handed consecutive defeats by German side Schalke in

the quarters. Inter had previously shocked Bayern Munich by eliminating them on away goals in the last minute of a thrilling second leg in front of the Bavarians’ home crowd at Allianz Arena.

AS Roma becomes US Roma In mid-April, Italian-American businessman Thomas DiBenedetto and former majority owners Unicredit reached an agreement for the takeover of AS Roma. In doing so, DiBenedetto became the first foreign-born owner in Serie A history. The Bostonian is a partner in New England Sports Ventures, who own both the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC. Juventus sinking deeper Luigi Del Neri’s aging men quite simply failed to compete all season long, once more finishing out of the top four. While many factors contributed to their lackluster showing, the bianconeri ’s main problems stemmed from their terrible inability to defend and Del Neri’s questionable coaching decisions in key moments.

To add insult to injury, their Europa League run ended in the group stage following an abysmal six draws in six games. Juventini will be hoping for a far better squad by the time their team christens the sparkling new Delle Alpi stadium at the beginning of next campaign.

Sampdoria’s relegation nightmare As most would have expected, the January transfers of Sampdoria star pairing Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini did not fare well for the blucerchiati.

Doria sank from mid-table to the relegation zone quicker than you could say pesto. The demotion to Serie B comes as a huge blow after last season’s successful run, finishing fourth. Also joining them in Italy’s second division are Brescia and Bari. v

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Toronto June 2-64_Layout 1 11-05-25 4:44 PM Page 61

Sports

61

Boxer Phil

The Italian Sensation Lo Greco: “Amo le cose difficili!”

By Viviana Laperchia

If you follow the Canadian boxing scene, the name Phil Lo Greco might ring a bell – or not. The 26-year old Italian-Canadian boxer, born in Toronto and raised in Sicily, began his career in Montreal in 2006. And although he gained the WBC International Welterweight Championship belt following last June’s knockout of Slawomir Ziemlewicz in Sicily, the champ has yet to fight in his native Ontario. With his spotless 21-0 record, Phil is a man on a mission. e recently returned to Canada hoping to realize his ultimate goal. “I want a world title fight at the Air Canada Centre,” he states bluntly. “It’s been a big challenge for me to fight in Toronto, my home town; it would be a dream to do it in front of my people.” And Phil is persistent: “You can’t quit. If I were to quit, I wouldn’t be sitting with you right now. Amo le cose difficili,” he declares. “I’m not coming here to fight someone that I can easily beat either. I want the biggest challenge in my hometown. It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m up for it.”

Phil’s challenge is two-fold. To make things more difficult, he decided to break through another barrier of sorts. He decided to become an unofficial spokesperson for the infamous Sicilian town he spent most of his life in. “I never specifically said that I’m from Corleone, he admits, because I never wanted to use the town’s name to get popularity. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, and it wasn’t a question of pride. But I decided to take advantage of this fact and turn it into something positive.”

Widely known for its mention in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy, Corleone is a town notoriously associated with organized crime. “But there’s not only violence,” he explains.

“There are also many good people that come from there. Today, people are becoming lawyers, doctors, and boxers such as me. There’s a big difference.”

With the support of Nino Iannazzo, Mayor of Corleone, Phil is truly committed to promoting a renewed image of the town abroad, and to motivate his town’s kids to stay in sports. “You can reach other goals whether you play soccer, box, or swim. With sports, you can open up many doors,” he wisely comments. “It wasn’t easy, but people in Corleone see the hard work that I put in; they see me as hope.”

Phil also hopes to get the opportunity to give motivational speeches to Toronto inner city kids in the near future. “Toronto is the city I love; this is the city that I’m taking to the grave. I promise to deliver something big soon enough.” Whether it’d be the world belt or a new hope for our kids, this ‘Italian Sensation’ is determined to push through. v

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